Rigid organs that constitute part of the endoskeleton of vertebrates
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Deep in the highlands of Papua, a glowing stone appears in their village. The Wano call it the Delima. It moves on its own. It vanishes from your hand. And it has to choose you before you can claim it with your own blood. The brothers grew up chasing this legend, and what their friends witnessed on that mountainside still has no explanation. Is it an undiscovered piece of creation or something darker wearing a beautiful disguise?Then the conversation turns to giants. The Wano tell of the Flying Wano, a towering race born from a strange ancestor whose body would not burn. The tribe feared them, gathered them at a feast, and set the house on fire. Their bones are still preserved in a cave, and the brothers' best friend has seen them with his own eyes. Add in a mysterious iron shaft buried where metal should not exist, giant handprints on impossible cliffs, and a 21-foot lizard called the Baludok that charged a missionary helicopter, and you have one of the wildest conversations we've ever had on this show. This episode is sponsored by: https://www.bruntworkwear.com/BLURRY — Get $10 Off at BRUNT with code BLURRY at checkout! https://rocketmoney.com/blurry — Let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster! Taking care of your health just got easier – start here with Zocdoc: https://zocdoc.com/BLURRY #sponsored - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum is located at 4521 Spring Grove Avenue in Cincinnati, Ohio. Horticulturist Adolph Strauch pioneered the "lawn plan" design when Spring Grove was established in 1845. This was a continuing effort to keep graveyards beautiful and inviting. This cemetery is the final resting place for many of Cincinnati's prominent historical figures and a living tree museum. The interior architecture has lead to it being recognized as a US National Historic Landmark. Intro and Outro music "Stones and Bones" was written and produced by History Goes Bump and any use is strictly prohibited. Check us out at: https://historygoesbump.com
Can calcium make osteoporosis worse? If you're taking a calcium supplement for osteoporosis, it may not be supporting bone strength and bone density the way you think. Discover how to support bone health the right way, and why calcium supplements alone may not be enough. 0:00 Calcium and osteoporosis0:45 What causes osteoporosis?1:04 Magnesium for bones 1:30 Parathyroid hormone and osteoporosis2:31 Bone density vs. bone strength3:38 Magnesium deficiency4:33 Common osteoporosis treatment 5:49 How to reverse osteoporosis6:40 Vitamin D, osteoporosis, and osteomalacia7:47 Vitamin K2 8:36 Bone health tips9:30 Should I take calcium for osteoporosis?
Can't Beat Jenn - Bones (Bones' answers)
Can't Beat Jenn - Bones (Jenn's answers)
Containing Matters of MiscreancyTimestamps:Howard Rodman - "The Man Who Went to the Moon - Twice" (0:00)Philip K. Dick - "Faith of Our Fathers" (17:08)Larry Niven - "The Jigsaw Man" (54:33)Fritz Leiber - "Gonna Roll the Bones" (1:03:14)Joe L. Hensley - "Lord Randy, My Son" (1:14:00)Poul Anderson - "Eutopia" (1:20:06)David R. Bunch - "Incident in Moderan" and "The Escaping" (1:32:43)James Cross - "The Doll-House" (2:01:04)Carol Emshwiller - "Sex and/or Mr. Morrison" (2:05:58)Damon Knight - "Shall the Dust Praise Thee?" (2:13:37)Bibliography:Nette, Andrew & McIntyre, Iain (eds.) - "Dangerous Visions and New Worlds: Radical Science Fiction, 1950 to 1985" (2021)
Welcome back to Crawlspace. In this new episode, Tim Pilleri & Lance Reenstierna are joined by new friend of the show, the Emmy Award winning documentary filmmaker, Alex Jablonski. Alex returns to Fox Hollow, the scene of the crime where 10,000 human bone fragments were discovered. Check out ABC Studio's Return to Fox Hollow on Hulu: https://www.hulu.com/series/cf13eda2-9742-4e74-be2e-cbb66b5caf15?cmp=11932&utm_source=google&utm_medium=SEM&utm_campaign=CM_SEM_Various+Niche+Originals&utm_term=&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=6466278418&gbraid=0AAAAADoVW83ulU1tL77UmQVJioWzIX-x0&gclid=CjwKCAjwpefSBhBvEiwAzyEtZ3ieNMFI7vAQuCjBJTxFppBv0id9zrkF1zrLI_ebeGQTBxM3Byc7CRoCq7kQAvD_BwE Check out Alex Jablonski's work: https://www.alexjablonski.com/ Follow Alex: http://instagram.com/_alexjablonski The music for Crawlspace was produced by David Flajnik. Listen to his music here: https://www.pond5.com/artist/bigdsound. Follow Crawlspace: IG: https://www.instagram.com/Crawlspacepodcast. TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@crawlspacepodcast. FB: https://www.facebook.com/Crawlspacepodcast. X: https://twitter.com/crawlspacepod. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7iSnqnCf27NODdz0pJ1GvJ. Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/crawlspace. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crawlspace-true-crime-mysteries/id1187326340. Follow Missing: IG: https://www.instagram.com/MissingCSM/. TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@missingcsm. FB: https://www.facebook.com/MissingCSM. X: https://twitter.com/MissingCSM. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0yRXkJrZC85otfT7oXMcri. Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/missingcsm. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/missing/id1006974447. Follow Private Investigations For the Missing Please donate if you can: https://investigationsforthemissing.org/. http://piftm.org/donate. https://twitter.com/PIFortheMissing. https://www.facebook.com/PIFortheMissing/. https://www.instagram.com/investigationsforthemissing/. Check out our entire network at http://crawlspace-media.com/. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Downeast Mike Episode 137 *News & Commentary* Sunday, July 19th, 2026Our Motto: Some of this is whimsy – some of this is true – the interpretation of it all is entirely up to you! Did you know? Downeast Mike contains no mean words! Just wholesome goodness from Downeast Maine. In today's episode: No Oil-Tech Exports to Russia (1978) Talkative Waitress At Dunkin (1978) Molded Chicken Salad Recipe (1978)The Bones Of Giants At Popham (1907)Thank you for listening! Please send your story suggestions, comments and requests to mike(@)downeastmike.com
Discover the profound impact of Vitamin K1 on respiratory health in this breakdown of a decade-long study involving over 179,000 adults. While Vitamin K2 often steals the spotlight for bone and heart health, new data suggests K1 is the "ruler of the realm" when it comes to protecting the lungs and reducing the risk of chronic lung disease (COPD).In this episode, we explore the science behind the "Matrix GLA Protein" (MGP), how leafy greens like kale and spinach act as "Green Power" for your lungs' elasticity, and why current daily recommendations for Vitamin K might be falling short of optimal levels.Key Takeaways:The K1 vs. K2 Difference: Why K1 is essential for lung function and fiber elasticity.COPD Risk Reduction: A 16% lower risk found in those with the highest K1 intake.The "Trampoline" Effect: Visualizing how K1 protects the elastic structures that help you breathe.Practical Serving Sizes: How much cooked kale or spinach is needed to reach optimal levels.Timestamps0:00 The Profound Impact of Vitamin K1 vs K2 on Lungs0:36 Analyzing the Study Data: Q1 vs Q5 Intakes 1:13 Is the 70mcg RDI Optimal or Just a Minimum? 1:44 Lung Function and the Difference in Breathing Depth 2:15 The Matrix GLA Protein (MGP): Protecting Lung Elasticity2:30 Green Power: Tracking 179,000 Adults Over a Decade 3:14 16% Reduction in COPD Risk Explained3:55 How K1 Activates Protective Elastic Fibers 4:36 Visual Comparison: Healthy vs. Stiff Lung Function5:01 Detailed Look at Matrix GLA Protein Activation 5:28 Raw vs. Cooked Kale: Maximizing Your K1 Intake 5:56 Study Validation: Hazard Ratios and Confidence Intervals 6:16 K1 for Lungs and Clotting vs. K2 for Bones and Arteries6:56 Addressing the "Healthy Volunteer Effect" in the UK Biobank 7:29 Terminology Glossary and Final Summary 8:10 Are Current RDI Guidelines Too Low for Respiratory Health?#VitaminK1 #COPD #LungHealth #MatrixGlaProtein #STEM #NutritionScience #RespiratoryWellness #HealthyAging #Emphysema #TheCatalystFormal Citation (AMA Style)Li C, Pokharel P, Sim M, et al. Dietary vitamin K intakes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, adult asthma, and lung function: a prospective cohort study in the UK Biobank. Am J Clin Nutr. 2026;123(101324):1-12. doi:10.1016/j.ajcnut.2026.101324Medical & Legal DisclaimerDisclaimer: The information provided here is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Dietary changes, particularly those involving vitamin K intake, can interact significantly with anticoagulant medications (blood thinners). Always consult with your physician or a qualified healthcare provider regarding a medical condition, diet, or treatment. The narrator and analysis team (The Catalyst) do not monetize this information and provide it as a public service.vitamin K1, K1 VS. COPD, lung blueprint, K1 lung health, COPD prevention, vitamin K-dependent proteins, Matrix Gla Protein, MGP, lung volume, pulmonary function, FEV1, FVC, spirometry, UK Biobank, dietary phylloquinone, green leafy vegetables, lung structure preservation, elastic fiber degradation, emphysema, nutritional epidemiology, chronic respiratory disease, respiratory wellness, Catalyst analysis, Ralph Turchiano, high-energy science, STEM education, non-monetized data.
Send us Fan MailWelcome to Guess the Year: 80s Edition! This is an interactive, competitive podcast series where you will be able to play along and compete against your fellow listeners. Here is how the scoring works:10 points: Get the year dead on!7 points: 1 year off6 points: Call bluff correctly4 points: 2 years off1 point: 3 years off0 point: 4 or more years offGuesses can be emailed to drandrewmay@gmail.com or texted using the link at the top of the show notes (please leave your name).I will read your scores out before the next episode, along with the scores of your fellow listeners! Please email your guesses to Andrew no later than 12pm EST on the day the next episode posts if you want them read out on the episode (e.g., if an episode releases on Monday, then I need your guesses by 12pm EST on Wednesday; if an episode releases on Friday, then I need your guesses by 12 pm EST on Monday). Note: If you don't get your scores in on time, they will still be added to the overall scores I am keeping. So they will count for the final scores - in other words, you can catch up if you get behind, you just won't have your scores read out on the released episode. All I need is your guesses (e.g., Song 1 - 198x, Song 2 - call bluff, Song 3 - 198x, etc.). Please be honest with your guesses! Best of luck!!The answers to today's ten songs can be found below. If you are playing along, don't scroll down until you have made your guesses. .....Have you made your guesses yet? If so, you can scroll down and look at the answers......Okay, answers coming. Don't peek if you haven't made your guesses yet!.....Intro song: Ace of Spades by Motorhead (1980)Song 1: Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler (1983)Song 2: Follow the Leader by Eric B. & Rakim (1988)Song 3: The Boys of Summer by Don Henley (1984)Song 4: Heart of the Matter by Don Henley (1989)Song 5: The Waiting by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (1981)Song 6: Right Field by Peter, Paul and Mary (1986)Song 7: Hearts and Bones by Paul Simon (1983)Song 8: Blame it On the Rain by Milli Vanilli (1989)Song 9: Centerfield by John Fogerty (1985)Song 10: The Heart of the Matter by Kenny Rogers (1985)
Archaeologists have uncovered the ruins of a palace that perfectly matches the description of King Noah's palace in Mosiah 11. And within the throne room of this palace, they found the charred bones of what appears to be one human sacrificial victim. Which raises the question: DID THEY FIND ABINADI'S BONES??!!Join me for a fascinating exploration of the ancient site called El Palenque, in Oaxaca, Mexico, which seems to be confirming the Book of Mormon with every single archaeological discovery. The topography surrounding the old city explains mysterious phrases in the BOM text, the ancient geopolitics of the area mirror exactly the generational struggle of Lamanites vs Zeniffites, and everything dates to precisely the same time period as King Noah. Even the odd astronomical alignments of their ceremonial buildings suggest an intriguing connection to the "land of Shilom"--the very land over which King Noah reigned. This presentation includes slides, visuals, evidence, direct quotes from the archaeologists, scripture references, and even on-location footage shot at the beautiful El Palenque... Have you ever wondered WHERE the Book of Mormon took place?... You may not have to wonder for much longer.Show notes for this episode: https://mormontheories.wordpress.com/2025/10/27/015-abinadis-bones/Watch the YouTube version of this episode here: https://youtu.be/2w9LDMN7grg
Scientists will sometimes strike palaeontological gold and discover 'fossil graveyards', sites containing thousands or millions of animal bodies, which have fossilised allowing study today. Belinda Smith speaks to palaeontologists working at two very different types of fossil graveyard — one in Australia, the other in Canada — to find out what accumulated fossilised remains reveal about life on Earth before humans impacted the ecology and when climate was very different.
In the summer of 1982, it became obvious that a serial killer was operating in the Tacoma area and dumping his victims in the waters of the Green River. In time, The Green River Killer, as the press soon dubbed him, would claim a staggering number of victims to become the most prolific serial killer in American history, a title he would hold until relatively recently. References Associated Press. 1985. "Bones found near Portland were from woman on Green River list."Daily Herald (Everett, WA), June 15: 1. —. 1985. "Green River case is tough, but not impossible: expert."Daily Herald (Everett, WA), September 18: 13. —. 1984. "Woman is identified as 27th Green River victim."Daily Herald (Everett, WA), October 16: 21. —. 1986. "Green River: 35th victim is identified."Daily Herald (Evertt, WA), May 5: 6. —. 1985. "County welcomes FBI help in Green River case."Kitsap Sun (Bremerton, WA), September 13: 23. —. 2001. "Green River suspect arrested ."Kitsap Sun (Bremerton, WA), December 1: 1. —. 1985. "Detectives doubt Green River killer has moved to Portland."Longview Daily News (Longview, WA), Janaury 1: 9. —. 1989. "Green River tas force could fold within a year."News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), December 9: 16. —. 1983. "'Green River Killer' may have slain 19 women."Spokane Chronicle, November 12: 1. CNN. 2003..December 19. Accessed June 19, 2026. https://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/12/18/green.river.sentencing/. —. 2003.Green River Killer Gary Ridgway's statement to the court.November 5. Accessed June 17, 2026. https://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/11/05/ridgway.statement/index.html. Cronin, Teresa. 1982. "Prostitution problem waning."News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), July 15: A4. —. 1984. "Slain daughter should be alive, her mother says."News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), July 1: 37. Daily Herald. 1990. "Green River case stuck, sheriff says."Daily Herald (Everett, WA), July 21: 11. Dardarian, Suki. 1982. "Slayings of five women linked, police believe."Daily Herald (Everett, WA), August 16: 2. Gildenhar, Jan. 1983. "As the death toll rises, police seek new leads."News Tribune (Spokan, WA), November 6: 14. Gillespie, Elizabeth. 2005. "Hiker finds skull of Green River killer victim."News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), November 23: 13. Gutman, David. 2024. "DNA testing, onbituary helped identify victim of Green River killer."Spokesman-Review (Spokane, WA), January 7: 5. Harden, Mark. 1985. "With no new murders in a year, Green River trail grows cold."Daily Herald (Everett, WA), January 6: 31. Ho, Vanessa, Hector Castro, and Tracy Johnson. 2001.A father led police to Ridgway in 1983.December 6. Accessed June 11, 2026. https://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/article/a-father-led-police-to-ridgway-in-1983-1073920.php. Hunter, Steve. 2024.Reichert shares details of Green River Killer case with Kent students.April 25. Accessed June 10, 2026. https://www.kentreporter.com/2024/04/25/reichert-shares-details-of-green-river-killer-case-with-kent-students/. —. 2024.Reichert shares details of Green River Killer case with Kent students.April 25. Accessed June 19, 2026. https://www.kentreporter.com/2024/04/25/reichert-shares-details-of-green-river-killer-case-with-kent-students/. Johnson, Gene. 2003. "Everett father's words draw tears."Daily Herald (Everett, WA), December 19: 1. McCarthy, Terry, and Nathan Thronburgh. 2002. "River of death."Time, June 3. News Tribune. 1983. "A killer is loose, does anyone care?"News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), November 9: 22. —. 1982. "Local prostitute among dead."News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), August 17: 1. —. 1982. "Police have Green River killer's mental profile."News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), September 21: 4. Rule, Ann. 2005.Green River, Running Red: The Real Story of the Green River Killer--America's Deadliest Serial Murderer.New York, NY: Pocket Books. Smith, Carlton, and Thomas Guillen. 1991.The Search for the Green River Killer.New York, NY: Onyx. State of Washington v Gary Leon Ridgway.2001. 01-01-10270-9 SEA (Superior Court of Washington for King County). Sullivan, Jennifer. 2012. "Another Green River victim ID'd."Longview Daily News, June 20: 3. Suttle, Gestin. 1993. "Skull found near Auburn identified as Bellevue woman, 19."News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), February 5: 20. Walter, Jess. 1990. "Possible suspects listed in killings."Spokane Chronicle, June 22: 3. Wilson, Duff. 2003.Profiler can't recall why he said letter wasn't from Green River killer.November 26. Accessed June 11, 2026. https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20031126/greenriver26m/profiler-cant-recall-why-he-said-letter-wasnt-from-green-river-killer. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash KelleyListener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra LallyListener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In each Random Bird Thursday (RBT) episode, the goal is to highlight a bird species that probably isn't going to get featured in a full-length podcast episode. These are birds we might overlook, even though they certainly deserve some appreciation and attention. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~⚠️ SPOILER ALERT!The featured species in this episode is the Rufous Cacholote (Pseudoseisura unirufa).Sound Citations:Sjoerd Mayer, XC3496. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/3496.Support the show
This content is for Members only. Come and join us by subscribing here In the meantime, here’s some more details about the show: Artist - Track - Album - Year Alternative Guitar Summit Song Bird (feat. Oz Noy & Nir Felder) Honoring Pat Martino, Volume 2 2026 The Electrifying Seamus Blake Compared to What Eh! Plays the Music of Eddie Harris 2026 Ben Allison/Steve Cardenas/Ted Nash Ida's Spoons Triological 2026 Alternative Guitar Summit Villa Hermosa (feat. Chico Pinheiro & Steve Cardenas) Honoring Pat Martino, Volume 2 2026 Tomas Janzon Six on Five Jazz Diary 2026 Billy Childs Like Father Like Son Triumvirate 2026 Peter Erskine/Alan Pasqua/Scott Colley Dear Chick Peregrine 2026 Andrew Moorhead Intervals Mirage 2025 Conrad Herwig Tones for Joan's Bones The Latin Side of Chick Corea 2026 Ben Patterson Ship of Fools Stretch 2026 Shapiro 17 Ugly Chic Best Laid Plans 2026 Dave Slonaker Big Band Shifty Paradigms Shifty Paradigms 2026 Rich Willey feat. John Swana Triple Play Laid Back Vol 1 2026 Flea Golden Wingship Honora 2026 Flea A Plea Honora 2026 Eric Person Perfection Extra Pressure (25th Anniversary Edition) 2026 Lou Marini and the Italian Groovers Diamond Jig Playtime 2026 Lou Marini and the Italian Groovers On Cat's Paws Playtime 2026 George George and Dee (Dedicated to George and Dee Gamble) Looking for Consanance 2026 Mike Eckroth Minas Messengers Can çao da Serra New Paths 2026 Zen Zadravec Do or Do Not, There is No Try New Paradigm 2026 Tom Teasley feat. Dave Ballou Where the Ocean Meets the Sky Inner Play 2026 Satoko Fujii's Bunker Ulmenwall Orchestra Gen Himmel Satoko Fujii's Bunker Ulmenwall Orchestra 2026 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It's a warm welcome then to the man himself: Dr. Brad Stone - the JazzWeek Programmer of the Year 2017, who's here every Thursday to present The Creative Source - a two hour show, highlighting jazz-fusion and progressive jazz flavours from back then, the here and now, plus occasional forays into the future. Please feel free to get in touch with Brad with any comments or suggestions you might have; he'll be more than happy to hear from you: brad@soulandjazz.com or follow him via Facebook or Bluesky. Enjoy!
The show OPEN... broken bones... Max the dog... and the CMSF!
Well, well, well look what we have here: YA, We Read It!'s 21st season. Resident YA readers, best friends, and hosts Meggie and Laura are back and this time they're reading Cassandra Clare's best-selling Shadowhunters series: The Mortal Instruments. Welcome to the City of Bones! (Just kidding, that's later!) Actually, welcome to NEW YORK CITY! The city of dreams, the city that never sleeps, the big apple! And the city where our protagonist Clary resides. She's your average city-living teen but her entire world is turned upside down when she meets Shadowhunters Jace, Alec and Isabelle and soon learns that she's one of them.
Send us Fan MailThis week, I'm joined by Julie Carrick Dalton, journalist, former organic farmer and beekeeper, and author of The Forest Becomes Her. Julie's novels are deeply rooted in the natural world, exploring the relationship between people, place, and the communities we build together.Inspired by her own experience watching a beloved forest disappear to development, The Forest Becomes Her is ultimately a story about what a community loses when a forest is gone. Through the lives of three women navigating grief, motherhood, and identity, Julie invites readers to consider our connection to the land beneath our feet and the lasting impact of the choices we make.In this episode, we talk about how Julie's years running an organic farm shaped every one of her novels, the decision to purchase a 220-acre forest to preserve it, why fiction allows her to explore life's biggest truths, and the joy of listening to audiobooks while tending her gardenEpisode Highlights:How Julie's years running an organic farm continue to inspire her writing & real-life experience behind The Forest Becomes HerParenting, motherhood, and raising children with a connection to natureHow fiction helps us understand the world in ways journalism sometimes cannotJulie's love of gardening with an audiobook playing in the backgroundJulie's Book Flight and fictional books that help us see the world differentlyConnect with Julie:WebsiteInstagramFacebookSome links are affiliate links, which are no extra cost to you but do help to support the show.Books and authors mentioned in the episode:The Last Beekeeper by Julie Carrick DaltonRed Clocks by Leni ZumasThe Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John MandelJane Eyre by Charlotte BronteThe Afterlife Project / The Gatepost by Tim WeedBook FlightStation Eleven by Emily St. John MandelA Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghySalvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward✨ Find Your Next Great Read! We just hit 175 episodes of Bookish Flights, and to celebrate, I created the Bookish Flights Roadmap — a guide to all 175 podcast episodes, sorted by genre to help you find your next great read faster.Explore it here → www.bookishflights.com/read/roadmapSupport the showBe sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!InstagramFacebookWebsite
This is a Grave Talks CLASSIC EPISODE! PART TWOWhen progress plows through the past, the past doesn't always stay buried. We dig into real cases where construction crews, developers, and “quick fixes” on old cemeteries stirred up something far worse than bad PR. From phantom foremen and midnight apparitions to tools that won't stay put and businesses that can't keep the lights on, disturbing the dead comes with a bill—payable in hauntings.Ronnie Headley joins The Grave Talks to unravel stories of graveyard guardians, relocated headstones, unrelocated bodies, and the bone-deep fallout that follows. Thinking about “just moving the markers”? You might want to hear this first.#TheGraveTalks #Ghosts #BuiltOnBurialGrounds #HauntedConstruction #RestlessSpirits #GraveyardGhosts #CursedDevelopments #ParanormalPodcast #HauntedHistory #Hauntings #Paranormal #ParanormalActivityLove real ghost stories? Don't just listen—join us on YouTube and be part of the largest community of real paranormal encounters anywhere. Subscribe now and never miss a chilling new story:
This is a Grave Talks CLASSIC EPISODE!When progress plows through the past, the past doesn't always stay buried. We dig into real cases where construction crews, developers, and “quick fixes” on old cemeteries stirred up something far worse than bad PR. From phantom foremen and midnight apparitions to tools that won't stay put and businesses that can't keep the lights on, disturbing the dead comes with a bill—payable in hauntings.Ronnie Headley joins The Grave Talks to unravel stories of graveyard guardians, relocated headstones, unrelocated bodies, and the bone-deep fallout that follows. Thinking about “just moving the markers”? You might want to hear this first.#TheGraveTalks #Ghosts #BuiltOnBurialGrounds #HauntedConstruction #RestlessSpirits #GraveyardGhosts #CursedDevelopments #ParanormalPodcast #HauntedHistory #Hauntings #Paranormal #ParanormalActivityLove real ghost stories? Don't just listen—join us on YouTube and be part of the largest community of real paranormal encounters anywhere. Subscribe now and never miss a chilling new story:
Welcome to the Homeschool Mom Book Club 2026 — a year of reading chosen entirely for you. Can I ask you a question? Who is nurturing you? It’s a question most homeschool moms never get asked. We pour everything into our children — our time, our creativity, our patience, our presence — and somewhere in all that nurturing, we forget that we are humans with needs too. Who Is Nurturing You? I’ve been there. I spent years showing up for everyone else and calling what was left of me enough. Occasional Wednesday nights at Starbucks with a latte and a journal were the thing that kept me going. I thought that was enough. It wasn’t. It’s cliche, but it’s true: I was surviving, not thriving. I craved time to read and write and learn for myself — not just enabling it for the kids. And when I began reading for me, I realized I could answer some of the challenges I was noticing in my homeschool family. After nearly two decades homeschooling and six years coaching women who home educate, I’ve learned that books, and their authors, can be incredible resources for us as home educators. I’ve also learned, from my own life, and the lives of other homeschool moms, we consistently DON’T put ourselves on our to-do lists. We leave our needs, our interests, our rabbit trails last on our lists. Our social lives can be abysmal (funny that onlookers are concerned that our kids aren’t socialized, when mom is driving them hither and yon, waiting in the parking lot while they meet new friends and do cool things). That’s why the Homeschool Mom Book Club 2026 exists. And that’s why I want to invite you into the 2026 lineup — twelve books, one per month, chosen entirely for the woman doing this work every single day. A Gift for the Mama Who Keeps Coming Last If you’ve been putting yourself last in your homeschool, I made something for you. It’s called the Permission Slip — 14 daily anchor practices for the homeschool mama who keeps coming last. It’s free and it’s yours. Grab it here: Yes, I Give Myself Permission You Are the Most Important Curriculum in Your Homeschool Before we get to the books, I want to say something I come back to again and again in my coaching work with homeschool moms: You are the most important curriculum in your homeschool. Not the books you choose for your kids. Not the actual curriculum you pull out each morning. And not the co-op or the field trips or the Charlotte Mason inspired nature study either. You. The way you show up. The way you regulate. Even the curiosity you model. The grace you extend — to your kids and to yourself. That is what your children are absorbing every single day. So investing in yourself isn’t something you do when you finally have time. It’s the most important work you can do for your homeschool. And a good book — and a community of women to think about it with — is one of the most accessible ways to begin. How the Homeschool Mama Book Club 2026 Works One book a month. Twelve months. Four quarterly themes that build on each other — so the reading isn’t just a list but a year-long conversation with yourself. When you’re listening to yourself, able to hear two thoughts in a row (because you know that is hard to do with kids afoot), and willing to unpack the challenges in your homeschool mom life, you’ll move toward enjoying the charms of your homeschool family life. And here’s the part I want you to hear clearly: you don’t have to read the book to show up. I know, crazy, right? A book club where you don’t HAVE to read. Of course, you’ll be more deeply benefited if you do. But I know I wouldn’t have been able to read a book a month in my busiest homeschool years and I’m certainly not expecting it of anyone else. Come for the conversation, come for the community, and come because for one Friday morning a month someone is asking what you think and what you need. Every month in the Confident Homeschool Mom Collective we gather for four Friday sessions built around each book: Roundtable Chat — the big question the book is really asking Book Club Discussion — diving into the ideas together Writer’s Room — putting pen to paper on what surfaced for you Actionable Strategies — taking what you learned and building it into your real homeschool life https://youtu.be/WX9ALm-uODU?si=j3xVN-WWRQWkyJWm The 2026–2027 Homeschool Mama Book Club Lineup ☀️ Summer — Your Inner Life June, July, August We start by turning inward. Before we can talk about education philosophy or creative practice we need to know ourselves a little better first. June — Atlas of the Heart by Brené BrownDo you actually know what you’re feeling — or are you just reacting to it? Brown maps 87 emotions and gives you the vocabulary to finally understand what’s happening inside you — and why it matters for every relationship in your home. July — The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron & Suzanne StabileWhy do you parent and teach the way you do? This warm, witty introduction to the Enneagram helps you understand your core motivations, your stress responses, and the invisible rules you’ve been living by without even knowing it. And when you join the Confident Homeschool Mom Collective (where the Homeschool Mama Book Club lives, you’ll have access to a workshop on how the Enneagram works in your homeschool family.) August — The Life That’s Waiting by Brianna WiestWhat would your life look like if you stopped forcing it and started living it? Wiest’s newest collection of essays is for the mom who has been pushing herself toward a life that doesn’t quite fit — and is finally ready to choose differently.
Skull and Bones is not a campus rumor. Founded at Yale in eighteen thirty-two by William Huntington Russell, Alphonso Taft, and other students, the society selected small annual classes, met inside a private High Street building known as the Tomb, and became associated with the Russell Trust Association. Its emblem, a skull and crossed bones over the number three twenty-two, remains one of the most recognizable symbols in American elite culture.The unresolved issue is not whether the society existed, or whether prominent Americans were members. Yale records, biographies, photographs, archival material, and public statements document alumni who later became presidents, senators, intelligence officials, diplomats, publishers, financiers, and judges. The harder question is whether Skull and Bones merely identified students already moving toward influence, or whether its privacy and alumni network helped carry them there.This episode follows the society from its founding through the Tomb, the tapping system, the Taft and Bush family connections, disputed ritual accounts, the Geronimo allegation, and the extraordinary two thousand four election, when George W. Bush and John Kerry stood on opposite sides of a presidential race while sharing membership in the same Yale society. The evidence shows access, continuity, and silence. What it does not conclusively show is command.This podcast uses artificial intelligence in its research, writing, production, and narration. Episodes are editorially reviewed before publication.#TheConspiracyFilesWithPaigeCarter #AmericanSecretSocietiesAndEliteInfluenceNetworks #SkullAndBones #YaleUniversity #SecretSocieties
Als 2013 das Original erschien, war es für viele das beste Assassins Creed seit dem 2. Teil mit Ezio. Auch ich habe so empfunden. Die Geschichte war gut, und das Piratensetting war eine tolle Idee. Und nach wie vor ist für mich Black Flag das beste Piratenspiel. Selbst Ubis eigenes Skull & Bones hat es nicht überholen können. Nur einen Koop-Multiplayer habe ich vermisst, seit ich in Sea of Thieves mit Sebastian die Meere unsicher gemacht habe. Nun, den Koop Multiplayer gibt es leider noch immer nicht in Black Flag, aber dafür wurde die Singleplayer Kampagne wunderbar aufgearbeitet. Black Flag Resynced ist keine billige HD Konvertierung sondern strahlt dank Anvil Engine in neuem Glanz. Man merkt, dass das Spiel insgesamt modernisiert wurde, auch Inhaltlich. So muss es sein wenn man ein älteres Spiel neu auf den Markt gibt. Es macht einfach Spaß, wieder in Edwards Welt einzutauchen. Auch wenn man das Spiel vor 13 Jahren gespielt hat, so bietet es einiges Neues und kann dadurch auch wieder überzeugen. Fans des Originals, von Open Worlds und Piratensettings kommen hier deshalb gleichermaßen auf ihre Kosten.
In the summer of 1982, it became obvious that a serial killer was operating in the Tacoma area and dumping his victims in the waters of the Green River. In time, The Green River Killer, as the press soon dubbed him, would claim a staggering number of victims to become the most prolific serial killer in American history, a title he would hold until relatively recently. References Associated Press. 1985. "Bones found near Portland were from woman on Green River list."Daily Herald (Everett, WA), June 15: 1. —. 1985. "Green River case is tough, but not impossible: expert."Daily Herald (Everett, WA), September 18: 13. —. 1984. "Woman is identified as 27th Green River victim."Daily Herald (Everett, WA), October 16: 21. —. 1986. "Green River: 35th victim is identified."Daily Herald (Evertt, WA), May 5: 6. —. 1985. "County welcomes FBI help in Green River case."Kitsap Sun (Bremerton, WA), September 13: 23. —. 2001. "Green River suspect arrested ."Kitsap Sun (Bremerton, WA), December 1: 1. —. 1985. "Detectives doubt Green River killer has moved to Portland."Longview Daily News (Longview, WA), Janaury 1: 9. —. 1989. "Green River tas force could fold within a year."News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), December 9: 16. —. 1983. "'Green River Killer' may have slain 19 women."Spokane Chronicle, November 12: 1. CNN. 2003..December 19. Accessed June 19, 2026. https://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/12/18/green.river.sentencing/. —. 2003.Green River Killer Gary Ridgway's statement to the court.November 5. Accessed June 17, 2026. https://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/11/05/ridgway.statement/index.html. Cronin, Teresa. 1982. "Prostitution problem waning."News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), July 15: A4. —. 1984. "Slain daughter should be alive, her mother says."News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), July 1: 37. Daily Herald. 1990. "Green River case stuck, sheriff says."Daily Herald (Everett, WA), July 21: 11. Dardarian, Suki. 1982. "Slayings of five women linked, police believe."Daily Herald (Everett, WA), August 16: 2. Gildenhar, Jan. 1983. "As the death toll rises, police seek new leads."News Tribune (Spokan, WA), November 6: 14. Gillespie, Elizabeth. 2005. "Hiker finds skull of Green River killer victim."News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), November 23: 13. Gutman, David. 2024. "DNA testing, onbituary helped identify victim of Green River killer."Spokesman-Review (Spokane, WA), January 7: 5. Harden, Mark. 1985. "With no new murders in a year, Green River trail grows cold."Daily Herald (Everett, WA), January 6: 31. Ho, Vanessa, Hector Castro, and Tracy Johnson. 2001.A father led police to Ridgway in 1983.December 6. Accessed June 11, 2026. https://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/article/a-father-led-police-to-ridgway-in-1983-1073920.php. Hunter, Steve. 2024.Reichert shares details of Green River Killer case with Kent students.April 25. Accessed June 10, 2026. https://www.kentreporter.com/2024/04/25/reichert-shares-details-of-green-river-killer-case-with-kent-students/. —. 2024.Reichert shares details of Green River Killer case with Kent students.April 25. Accessed June 19, 2026. https://www.kentreporter.com/2024/04/25/reichert-shares-details-of-green-river-killer-case-with-kent-students/. Johnson, Gene. 2003. "Everett father's words draw tears."Daily Herald (Everett, WA), December 19: 1. McCarthy, Terry, and Nathan Thronburgh. 2002. "River of death."Time, June 3. News Tribune. 1983. "A killer is loose, does anyone care?"News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), November 9: 22. —. 1982. "Local prostitute among dead."News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), August 17: 1. —. 1982. "Police have Green River killer's mental profile."News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), September 21: 4. Rule, Ann. 2005.Green River, Running Red: The Real Story of the Green River Killer--America's Deadliest Serial Murderer.New York, NY: Pocket Books. Smith, Carlton, and Thomas Guillen. 1991.The Search for the Green River Killer.New York, NY: Onyx. State of Washington v Gary Leon Ridgway.2001. 01-01-10270-9 SEA (Superior Court of Washington for King County). Sullivan, Jennifer. 2012. "Another Green River victim ID'd."Longview Daily News, June 20: 3. Suttle, Gestin. 1993. "Skull found near Auburn identified as Bellevue woman, 19."News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), February 5: 20. Walter, Jess. 1990. "Possible suspects listed in killings."Spokane Chronicle, June 22: 3. Wilson, Duff. 2003.Profiler can't recall why he said letter wasn't from Green River killer.November 26. Accessed June 11, 2026. https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20031126/greenriver26m/profiler-cant-recall-why-he-said-letter-wasnt-from-green-river-killer. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash KelleyListener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra LallyListener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
What's the difference between a bundle, a box set, an anthology, and a collection? How can being part of an anthology be creatively interesting and useful for marketing? With Jamie Ferguson In the intro, Amazon Kindle increases the 70% royalty share; audiobook marketing tips (Voices by InAudio); The Builder's Creed [Seth Godin]; Future Vision XPrize; Researching the dark side of travel [Anna Sayburn Lane]; Photos from Bruges @jfpennauthor; Bones of the Deep: A Thriller – J.F. Penn. Today's show is sponsored by Bookfunnel, the essential tool for your author business. Whether it's delivering your reader magnet, sending out advanced copies of your book, handing out ebooks at a conference, or fulfilling your digital sales to readers, BookFunnel does it all. Check it out at bookfunnel.com/thecreativepenn This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn Jamie Ferguson is a fiction and short story author, editor, and publisher, with over 20 anthologies and multiple ebook bundles through her own press. Her latest book for authors is Bundle Up! A Practical Guide to Anthologies and Box Sets That Sell. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below. Show Notes The difference between bundles, box sets, anthologies, and collections Why a multi-author project means lots of people promoting the same book, not just you How to find and pitch for anthology opportunities, and what editors look for in a contributor Contracts, rights, and royalty splits explained for short fiction Why Kickstarter and special print editions are changing the anthology game Inkwren, the publishing management tool Jamie built for backlists and anthologies You can find Jamie at JamieFerguson.com. Transcript of the interview ith Jamie Ferguson Jo: Jamie Ferguson is a fiction and short story author, editor, and publisher, with over 20 anthologies and multiple ebook bundles through her own press. Her latest book for authors is Bundle Up! A Practical Guide to Anthologies and Box Sets That Sell. Just for context too, one of my short stories, “The Dark Queen”, is in the Amazing Monster Tales: Into the Briny Deep anthology. So I'm excited to talk about this today. Welcome to the show, Jamie. Jamie: Thanks for having me, Jo. Jo: Lots to talk about. But first up— Tell us a bit more about you and how you got into writing and self-publishing. Jamie: Well, I wanted to be a writer since I was at least six, maybe before then. So it was just something I always wanted to do, but I always did it on the side. I had a year, many years ago, where I was really busy with work, and I just felt like I didn't write anything the entire year, and I thought, “I'm going to give it up.” Then the next year—that was 2011—I started seeing more about self-publishing, and that really invigorated me and made me feel like, “No, why am I giving up something I've wanted to do since before I went to school?” So I got back into a novel I had worked on years before. I went to a writing workshop with Dean Wesley Smith up in Oregon, back in the day, and then I had my energy back. I've been writing ever since. Still on the side, unfortunately, but someday. Jo: Hopefully! Tell us a bit more about what kind of genres you write. Because balancing your own books with also doing these anthologies and things is quite difficult. Jamie: Yes, it definitely is. I'd say I primarily write contemporary fantasy, but I'll write anything in any genre if I'm really excited about it. I also have a soft spot for Westerns. They take a little more time because I like to research all the facts, but those are really fun to write. Creating anthologies on your own is actually quite a bit of work. One of the things I also do is work with two other authors, DeAnna Knippling and Tami Veldura, and create more anthologies with them. That's really fun because then we can each take a different piece. There's also always somebody to talk to, as opposed to doing it on your own. Jo: Let's start with the terminology, because I definitely struggled with this, and I think people still do. We've got bundles, we've got box sets, we've got anthologies, we've got collections—and are these in ebook, audiobook, or print? Can you start by explaining what all of these words actually mean? Jamie: Yes. In my book I actually use the term “multi-author collection” or “multi-author project”, because there are so many different permutations and it does get confusing. From my perspective, I think of a bundle as a collection. It could be a collection of ebooks. Technically it could be a collection of print books, although people generally use “box set” for that—but then a box set can also be a box set that's all ebooks. An anthology, I usually use for something that's a collection of short stories where there's an editor who's actually edited all the stories. I have had stories in anthologies where somebody didn't edit them, and they would technically be called a curator. So it is definitely confusing. I have not done anything with audio collections, but that certainly is another area that I actually think is pretty interesting. Jo: I also think that a single author… so I've done a short story collection, but an anthology is multiple authors. Is that right? Jamie: Yes. Jo: I think when I came into the indie space, there were a lot more multi-author… we all called them box sets back in the day, when it was just ebooks, right? And now we can actually do boxed sets with boxes through things like BookVault. So it feels like the term “box set” has also gone out of fashion. So if people listening are thinking of doing any of this, you do have to figure out what is the thing you might be signing up for. So let's talk about the multi-author projects, as that's where you specialise. What are the benefits for an author to be involved in a multi-author anthology project? Jamie: The biggest benefit is that you are one of multiple people promoting the same project, whether it's print or ebook or whatever. If I put out a short story collection on my own, I'm the one promoting it, and maybe I can get a couple of other people to write about it, but it's really just me. If I'm part of an anthology with 15 other authors, that's 15 other people who are promoting the same project. That's more newsletters, more Facebook posts, maybe something on their Patreons, whatever it is. You get more synergy, and you get more touch points with potential readers. Then hopefully that translates into sales as well. So that's definitely the biggest part of it—the promotion. Then I also personally really enjoy these types of collections because it's just fun to work with other people. There's a nice energy when everybody's like, “Oh, I put this in my newsletter, and I put this here, and I put this here,” and you feel like you're part of something bigger than just your own piece. Jo: What about the creative benefits? Especially with short stories, often people will write them for a collection or for an anthology project. Jamie: Yes. I've definitely written some stories that I never would have thought I'd write, because somebody I knew asked if I would be interested in being in their collection—whether it's an ebook bundle or a print anthology. So at least for me, that's been really fun. One of the ones that stands out is that I was asked to be in a dinosaur collection once, and I was like, “I don't write dinosaur stories.” And then I did. I set a dinosaur story in London, and it was really fun to write, and I never would have come up with that in a million years. Jo: Let's say we've got 12 authors. They've all written short stories, and now it's in this anthology. But what is the market for these kinds of things? Have you found that there is a readership for short story anthologies that carries over to the author's longer work? Jamie: There is. I like to think of it as: if I have a story in a collection or an anthology—whether it's one I'm editing or somebody else is editing—that's one more place for people to find me. A lot of times anthologies will take reprints as well, like your story. “The Dark Queen”—that was a reprint. We asked if you'd be interested in participating in the Amazing Monster Tales series. And I actually really like printing stories again that have already been published, because there are a lot of stories out there that can be hard to find. Or if it's an older book. I have one author I've known for, like, 30 years. I reprinted one of her stories that was originally published in, I think, 1999, and the anthology it was in was out of print. You couldn't find it, and it was a fantastic story. So it's fun to be able to give new life to those stories and give them more opportunities, and also just have more ways for people to find you. Jo: Yes, I definitely think it's a long game. I don't think appearing in a short story anthology in one particular month is going to mean that your whole back collection just sells, right? Jamie: No, definitely not. It's more about avenues to be found. I know there have been some anthologies that have made quite a bit of money, but in general you're probably not going to make as much money, but you will have those extra places for people to find you. Jo: I always feel like yes, there is maybe a small amount of money, but it is more about almost a marketing thing in itself. So let's say an author is listening and they're like, “Do you know, this sounds like a great idea.” How can they pitch for things like this? How do they find out about opportunities, or get noticed to be asked? And what are the expectations for them? Jamie: The biggest thing is networking. There used to be a couple of opportunities where you could make people aware that you had stories that you were interested in potentially having picked up for something. I'm not aware of anything like that now. When I create a collection, I have a mailing list that I send out, and it includes authors I've published before. It includes a couple of extra people who somehow found my mailing list. And I'll publish, like, “Here's what I'm doing.” There are also authors I've met at writing workshops. I've been able to read some of their work, I'll approach them and say, “Hey, I really liked such and such a story. Would you be interested in writing for this?” Then there are a couple of other websites, like Duotrope, and places that advertise markets and calls for submissions. Jo: Yes, I've found them also on small presses that do these kinds of projects. They often put up one call for submission a month or something, and you can write for their particular thing. In general, the short story markets are the places to keep an eye on. Jamie: Yes, definitely. Jo: If an author wants to pitch to have their story as part of an anthology, do you want to know things like platform, or is it just the story itself? Jamie: I personally look at the author's platform. I do make exceptions—there are actually two authors I've worked with a couple of times who don't have websites. They are people I know personally and they are very, very good writers, so I'll make an exception for things like that. But otherwise, if somebody submitted a story to me and I didn't know that person, I would check out their website, I would check out their social media, I would see what else they had done. Part of what you're doing when you're creating a collection is thinking not just about how you, as the person organising this, will promote the collection, but how the authors who are participating will help promote it as well. If it's somebody who has a lot of fans, even if they're not very active on social media, that can help a lot too. There are a lot of different factors, though. Jo: So then talk us through the project timeline. How long do things take, and what sort of involvement do the authors have along the way? Because it's a lot to juggle. Jamie: Yes, it is a lot to juggle. I can give you an example with the Monster Tales series. We'll come up with an idea, and we also like to try to get the artwork done early on in the process. We don't need it that soon, but it's really great to have that taken care of. We'll contact authors. I think for this one we used my mailing list, but we've also contacted a number of people individually that we know who write the style of stories we like. Then, as the submissions come in, we usually wait until we have a nice chunk of them to start going through, and then we'll pick some right away. Sometimes it'll be like, “Oh my gosh, of course we want this story,” and we'll wait to fill out the other slots. Then we'll negotiate sometimes. Sometimes it's like, “I want this story.” “Well, I want this other story.” And we have to figure out how the word count works. Once we finalise the stories, then usually what happens with that anthology is that DeAnna—who is a very, very good editor—will make the first editing pass, and then I'll make the second. And now Tami's involved, so Tami will make the third, and then we'll iterate. Once all three of us have gone through the first time, then we'll send the story back to the author for edits. So the most the author has to do for most of the process is just wait for us to edit their story, and then work on their edits and get them back. Then, once we get closer to launch, we'll give them information about what we're going to do. For example, we're going to launch the next issue with a Kickstarter. So our authors know that we have a Kickstarter coming, and we'll give them more information as we get closer to the actual launch date. Jo: So how long might an author expect before their work is out there? Jamie: It really varies. I've had some collections published very quickly—let's say a couple of months. Some have taken longer just because somebody ends up having some life issue and things get delayed. So I'd say ideally it would be more like three to nine months. Jo: Yes, I think… depending on the— Jamie: —collection and the complexity. Jo: Yes, exactly. Jo: And you did mention word count there. Just give us a range of what word count you like to get. Jamie: So these days I'm shooting for between 75,000 and 80,000 for the total word count for a collection. That includes the stories, but it also includes the opening, the introduction. For one we're working on now, we're going to have some interstitials, where we have little bits of things we're going to write in between each story. So that's the overall size of the collection. I'll keep track of the word count as the stories come in, and then as we edit the stories, sometimes they grow, sometimes they shrink. Sometimes that's a big enough difference where we're like, “Okay, we need one more story to fill it in.” But that's the target. Jo: And how much for each individual story? Jamie: That varies. I've done a bunch of different things. These days, what I'm advertising is between 3,000 and 8,000 words. I also always tell people: if you're outside this range on either side, just check with me, and if it's something that's really an excellent fit for the book, I'll make an exception. The one that's coming out, I think we have a 1,500- or 2,000-word story that was just amazingly perfect for what we wanted. There was another story, actually I think it was the issue that you were in, that was at least 12,000 words, but it also was a perfect fit for the theme. So I will make exceptions, but within reason. I wouldn't put a novella inside an anthology, because then you'd have a 22,000-word story next to a 3,000-word story, and I personally feel like that's really jarring for the reader. You don't want to go from something super short to something super long. It just doesn't feel like it flows well to me. Jo: No, absolutely. Jo: We'll come back to the making of it because you mentioned some really interesting things there. But just on the contractual side—a lot of indie authors don't necessarily do any publishing contracts for their work, unless it's signing the terms and conditions when uploading on Amazon or Kobo. So tell us a bit about the contract side. What rights are we talking about here? Any red lines in contracts around this kind of thing? Jamie: For contracts, I would recommend people read Kristine Kathryn Rusch's posts on this. She is way more informed about this than I ever will be, so when I have questions, I'll look at her posts. I've asked her a couple of questions. What we're doing for the Amazing Monster Tales… this is the first time that I've actually had authors sign contracts. Prior to this, I've used PubShare, which handles royalty splits and all of that, and that was really great. We want to do direct sales and Kickstarters and have lots of other options. So we did put together a contract this time. I'd have to pull it up, but I think we asked for first worldwide rights in English—I'm getting the terminology wrong here—but that was basically it. Jo: Or, I guess, reprint rights if the story's already been licensed. Jamie: Correct. We have two contract templates, one for original stories and one for reprints. We made sure to make that distinction, because it is definitely a distinction. In the book by Kristine Kathryn Rusch—it's called Closing the Deal… on Your Terms—I highly recommend that for anybody interested in learning more about contracts. Jo: Yes, that's great. And just for people listening: when you said you didn't have contracts before, you just used PubShare. So in that way, the author still retained the rights and you just split the royalties—it was more of a co-writing thing. Jamie: Correct. When you publish stories through PubShare, the author signs an agreement with PubShare, and then I, as the editor or organiser, would also sign a separate agreement. So each of us has an agreement with PubShare. We don't have agreements with each other, if that makes sense. Jo: Yes, so it's very different to move into Kickstarter. So tell us about what you're now moving into. Jamie: Well, Kickstarters are a new world for me personally. I have many friends who have had Kickstarters. I've supported Kickstarters. I watch them. But it's something where I'm very happy to have two partners who have done Kickstarters before. I'm not sure how many Tami's done—I think Tami's done the most at this point. So this is all new to me. But it's very exciting. At this point we have a backlist, so part of the plan, for the Monster series, is to offer issues one through four as part of the rewards when we launch issue number five. That's really exciting, because I never had a backlist like that before. Jo: Yes, and in fact the money is in the backlist, as ever, and those add-ons or bundles as part of Kickstarter are great. So are you going to do special print editions, or is it digital only? Jamie: We are talking about special print editions. You mentioned BookVault earlier—we've been looking at BookVault. Our other anthology series that hasn't come out yet will also launch with a Kickstarter. It's dragon-themed, and Tami actually did the cover work, which is beautiful. BookVault just gives you so many options that we never had before, so I'm very excited about that. Jo: Yes, I think it's a really good idea. I did gorgeous hardbacks for my solo author collection, so I think it's a great idea. So from the publisher side, let's come back to that. You've mentioned you have to write things like an introduction and interstitials, and you're trying to balance the stories. What are some of the other things that people might think about if they want to organise their own anthologies? Jamie: Oh gosh, where to start? There's the basic setting up of the anthology, so you have to define the table of contents. You might get a bunch of stories that are really awesome, and you might have to tell somebody who has a wonderful story—and maybe even who's a good friend of yours—that you're going to pass on it because their story doesn't fit with all the other stories. Every time I have to do that, I feel kind of bad. But being on this side, it's really interesting to see how you can tell which stories fit together and which don't. There's also the editing process, which can be a lot of work. Part of what I like about working with Tami and DeAnna is that DeAnna really loves editing. I feel like I'm a good editor, and I can do it, but for me it's more of a job. For DeAnna, she loves it, so she does the bulk of the editing, which is great. When I do it on my own, I feel like it's a task I have to do. There's lots of cat-herding. Sometimes people take a while to get their edits back. Sometimes they have life events, and you have to delay things because you're waiting on them. There are all the little tiny pieces of organising things—like, if you're reprinting stories, you need to make sure you get the copyright attribution correct. A lot of times I'll have to go and look up where something was originally published. An author might say, “Oh, it was published in this year,” and I'm like, “Okay, actually it was published in this other year, by this other publication first.” So I'm trying to be organised there. henT one of the things that very infrequently—I think it's only happened to me twice—every once in a while, you're in the middle of editing a story and you have to pass on it, even though you've already accepted it, because the editorial vision and the author vision for the story are not the same, and you can't reconcile that. Jo: I think that's really interesting, because so much of what you're talking about there—you mentioned vision—it's almost taste. You're saying which stories fit. It's not just a case of, I don't know, a pirate anthology and then picking 10 stories about pirates, right? You seem to be thinking about this in a more artistic way. So can you talk a bit more about that? How do you decide on a theme, and then how do you know that a story doesn't fit? Jamie: In the beginning, I was not this selective. In the beginning I'd say, for example, “Hey, I'm putting out a collection about fairies. Give me a fairy story,” and that was it. As I've edited the stories, it's become easier to see how things fit. So, for example, if I have 10 stories in an anthology and I have an 11th story, and they have different tones—let's say the 11th story is really funny and all the other stories are very serious—then that would be a fit thing. That's not necessarily taste; it's just that you don't want one funny story if everything else is really dark and scary or serious. As far as picking a theme, the theme could be very broad. With this dragon anthology we're working on, we decided we wanted it to be called A Hoard of Books. So the theme was: has to have dragons, has to have books, and that's pretty much it. And then we were like, “Let's just see what we get.” We were very surprised at what we got. We thought we'd have more serious stories, and it turned out most of them were very light-hearted and really fun. And we're like, “You know what? That actually changes the way we're looking at the whole series,” because we did not expect that. With the monster series, we'll pick a theme. So, for example, the next issue is Monsters in Love, and for those it's more like, let's just see what happens. Sometimes I'll have a more specific theme. The next anthology I'm publishing on my own is called Fairy Bargains, and I wanted people to obviously have fairies, but I wanted there to be something related to the mythology and lore of having a bargain with a fairy—and there's a lot of stuff about that. So for some things like that, when I put out a call, I'll provide information. I might say, “Here's a link to a Wikipedia article. Here's some mythology that might be helpful for you,” just because I want things to stick a little bit more to the theme itself. Whereas with Monsters in Love, there's a very wide range of stories, and that was very fun to work through. Jo: Oh, yes. There's a lot of monster, on the spicy side as well. But were you doing a clean Monsters in Love, as opposed to in lust? Jamie: Yes, this is a clean one. That's pretty funny. But boy, when you give authors the room for these types of things, you get all kinds of stories, and it is super fun to work with those collections. Jo: As you're talking, I definitely want to do more short stories. It's really interesting, because you can actually generally get paid more for a first print—first print rights on a short story—but I often want to just publish it myself. Then I was really happy to be in yours, because it was a reprint anyway. So I was like, well, there's absolutely nothing to lose if it goes in as a reprint. So these things can be really interesting. Talking of the finance from your side of things: you have a small press and you're doing this publishing yourself, but you're paying all these authors and doing a lot of work. So how does it work as the publisher, in terms of these anthologies, financially? Jamie: With the ones we've published so far, because we've gone through PubShare, it's been a royalty split. As the editors, we would take a percentage, and then we pay for the artwork, and of course all of our time. I think what we were doing there was saying 70% of the royalties would be split equally between all of the authors and the stories. So, for example, if I had a story as well, I would get part of the author split—the same percentage as everybody else in the collection—in addition to the editor split. For what we're doing now, we've changed this a little bit, and I believe we said 60% goes to the authors, and then we're going to keep a share of the proceeds for the business because we want to be able to pay for the artwork out of the business account. We want to pay for advertising, whatever we need to do—like setting up our store, or if we wanted to invest in anything, we want to be able to do that as the business, as opposed to it just being us doing this on our own. We're just trying to treat it a little bit differently. Jo: And I know it's so much work—a crazy amount of work. How many anthologies and books do you have to do in a year to make it worthwhile financially? Jamie: Oh, I don't know. I would say, unless you get an opportunity—like, for example, to have an anthology in a story bundle or something like that—you may not break even. But if you're going to do this, do it more for the marketing, do it more because you enjoy it. Now, going forward, I think that will change, because we are looking at Kickstarters, we are looking at direct sales. We're very motivated to try to make this more of a business thing than a fun side project. So, ask me in a year. Jo: Yes, hopefully more. I do think Kickstarter is great for short stories. I actually buy quite a few collections on Kickstarter. I think they're actually really hard to discover through, say, Amazon—it's a place that is quite hard to identify short stories. Whereas I've found I've bought collections on Kickstarter because there's so much more of a sales page—there's so much more rich media that tells me how I'm going to feel about the stuff. I've bought short story anthologies and collections from people I don't know. So I think it's a really good thing to do. There is an audience there. Jamie: Yes, definitely. And it does feel like the anthologies on Amazon don't sell as well—you don't make as much as you used to. I've been doing this for, well, gosh, 10 years now, and I feel like the sales numbers on Amazon in the past year were noticeably lower than they would have been six or eight years ago. So I am very excited about Kickstarter. Plus, Kickstarter just feels really fun. You're not just throwing your book up; you also have all the extra stuff with the page, you have the rewards, and it just feels really exciting. Jo: No, I agree. I really love it. I didn't do it for a long time, and now I just love it. Jo: So, staying with the publisher side of things— Any practical formatting and production tips? Because in these types of projects, all kinds of people just send you different stuff. Jamie: I have a style guide. So whether it's me or it's the group project, once all the edits are complete, I'll do a formatting pass, and I'll make sure I use curly quotes and the same em dash format and everything, just so everything in the book is formatted the same way. Every once in a while there's an author who has something particular that they want, and I can work around that, and that's fine. I also work with a lot of Canadian authors, and I'll let them keep their Canadian spellings. I don't think everybody does that, but I feel like that's their voice in a way, so I don't correct those. I might check some things there. I think the formatting is important—it makes things look better if everything has the same style. Then I use Vellum, which makes things really easy. I love Vellum. Because I publish so many authors at this point, I have a Vellum file where I store their biographies and their links, so when I publish a new anthology I'll just go grab, say, Jo's “about the author” page from that collection and put it into the new file. Then I also track when the last time was that I checked with the author about their biography. If it's been more than a year, I'll check in with them and say, “Hey, do you have an updated biography you want me to use? Here are your links—do you have any different links now?” So that makes it a lot easier from the formatting standpoint. Jo: And you mentioned Vellum—having done box sets on Vellum, you can just drag a whole book in there if you want to do a three-book box set, or three short stories, whatever. It's much easier to just drag things in, and it makes it easier to format. So I would say to people: you don't need to worry too much about that. There are lots of things that can help you. But even with doing the print stuff for the Kickstarter—people have opinions, don't they? So in terms of authors' opinions and managing—you mentioned herding cats—how do you manage all of that side of things? Jamie: I haven't actually had a lot of trouble with that. The authors I've worked with seem to feel like they gave me their story, and then once the edits are out of the way… I haven't had anybody have any issues with the covers. Usually they love the covers, especially for the Monster series. So, no problems there. Jo: Oh, that's good. Well, I would say a tip would be to make sure you're communicating, if you're somebody who's organising. So talk a bit about communication. Jamie: Communication is very important. What I try to do is send regular updates, especially if I'm in the middle of edits or working on something and I'm not ready to launch. I'll send an update email out to the authors and just say, “Here's what's going on, here's what the plan is.” Or if the plan has to change, if the launch date has to change for some reason, I'll let the authors know about that. Actually, with the upcoming Monsters in Love issue, we were originally not going to do a Kickstarter. That was a late decision, so I contacted all the authors and said, “We've changed our plans. We're going to launch this with a Kickstarter. Please confirm that you're okay with this.” One author was not comfortable with the Kickstarter idea, so he pulled his story, and then we found a replacement story for that. But I just feel like the communication piece is really essential. It's really important for the authors to know what's going on. Jo: Yes, absolutely. So, we've talked about how marketing is a good thing, in terms of there being lots of people marketing. How are you effectively marketing these kinds of books, as the premise is quite different to a single author project? Jamie: Right. There's the usual—write a release post, write posts on social. I do additional things, so I'll publish what I call a story spotlight for each story in the anthology. That's just where I talk a little bit about the story, I provide an excerpt, and then I provide the author's bio and links to find them. Those are really great, because they're very quick to put together. The hardest part is getting a short excerpt that shows enough about the story to be engaging. But that really isn't that much time, either. Then those are also nicely evergreen. I've actually searched for authors before, when I'm trying to research them for an interview, and I've found my own spotlight posts and my own interview posts with authors come up at the top of the list, which is kind of funny. I also do interviews with as many of the authors in a collection as are willing to participate. Sometimes people just don't have the time—I don't make this required—but I usually get 80 to 90% of the authors participating. So, for example, this year I'm in a couple of bundles on StoryBundle, and I'm doing interviews for people there. It's also really fun, and you're not paying for advertising—you're just creating something that the authors are excited about and they want to share. So it promotes the collection, but it also promotes the author, which I find really nice. It's a nice networking thing too, and I'm happy if someone wants to interview me. It's like free publicity for each person, in addition to the collection. Jo: I love that you've used the word “fun” quite a lot, which I find amazing. You're obviously a super collaborative person. I've co-written a number of books— I've been part of some collections, and I really think that there are two personalities. One is like me, where we really love the creation stuff and the publishing stuff, but we're hyper-controlling. And then someone like you—you're very collaborative, and you're doing such a great job. To people listening, I would say: if you're more like me, don't organise an anthology. What you want is Jamie, or somebody who actually finds it fun to organise a big group of authors. Jamie: Yes. It is definitely interesting working with other partners in this, because when I publish an anthology on my own, I make all the decisions. I pick the artwork, I pick the theme, I do everything, I decide the table of contents. But when you're working with other people, you do need to negotiate. So we've had a couple of times where it's like, “I want this story.” “Well, I want this other story, I don't like the story that you want.” And so we have to barter, in a way. Aside from that, it is nice, because you get to split up the tasks. I could focus on things like the organising—I do the Vellum files, I do the final cover and everything. For the Kickstarters, actually, Tami's got more expertise, so Tami's going to be working on the Kickstarters for our collections together. If I had to do all this on my own, it's a ton of work. It's a ton of work. So it is nice to split it up. Jo: And of course, one of the things is managing so many moving parts—and you've actually built a tool to manage all this. So tell us a bit about that tool, and how it might be useful for people with big backlists as well as anthologies. Jamie: I built what I think of as a publishing management application. The original idea is that, for years and years, I wanted a software tool that would do catalogue management, because I was managing my own catalogue, and I was also managing—at this point I've published at least 20 anthologies, so that's a lot of authors. Then last summer, I had an author who I'd published a number of times, who was going to, I think, WorldCon, and she asked if I could give her covers for five anthologies she'd been in, so that she could make some promotional material. I was like, “Oh, sure, I can do that.” And then I was like, “Well, wait a second—is this in Notion?”—because I started trying to use Notion last year—”or is it in a spreadsheet?” It turned out her information was in, like, three different places, and I had to work to pull it together. And then I was like, “You know what? That's it. I'm just going to finally write this application.” So Inkwren manages your stories. As an author, I can manage my stories—I can track which are published, which are drafts, which are just ideas. I can track my publications. From the publisher standpoint, it's really helpful, because I can track each anthology I've published and what I'm working on. I can track the edits, I can track the contracts. I can upload contract templates—so we talked earlier about the original and reprint contract templates that I use. I upload those, and they have placeholders in them. When I generate the actual contract, the author's name will replace the placeholder—I'll have the text “author name” in the contract template, and it'll get replaced by, like, “Joanna Penn” or whatever. So that saves a lot of time. Then I also added in task tracking, because I started to feel like, well, now all my stuff is in one place, but my tasks are somewhere else. So now I can associate tasks with a publication. For example, for the book I'm working on right now, I know which tasks I need to do for the cover, and which for the interior, and everything. I have a template of tasks. Then I can also track tasks related to promotions. For example, the story bundle I'm promoting right now, I have a task for each interview I'm doing with the authors, and I have a calendar view. I can see when I'm going to publish them and know that they're all spread out. It saves me so much time, and it's so much easier. Jo: I do think building tools when you actually need the tool yourself is very useful. Just say the name again, and spell it out for people. Jamie: It's Inkwren. My own personal publishing company is Blackbird Publishing, and I wanted something related to birds and writing. So I came up with Inkwren, which is I-N-K-W-R-E-N, and it's just inkwren.com. Jo: And it is available for other people to potentially buy and use? Jamie: Yes, it is. Jo: Well, I think that's super useful, because it's very hard when people are starting out and they think, “Oh, I've only got one book—why would I need any kind of tool to manage it?” But over the years, your backlist grows, especially with short stories. So I love that you've built this, and there's probably more that you can add over time as you expand the business yourself. So much potential. So we are at the end. Where can people find you and your books and everything you do online? Jamie: My author website is JamieFerguson.com. And then, obviously, I mentioned Inkwren earlier. My publishing company is BlackbirdPublishing.com. And then the projects I'm doing with Tami and DeAnna—we have a couple of websites, but the easiest way to find us is our press, which is BorogrovePress.com. Jo: Fantastic. Well, thanks so much for your time, Jamie. That was great. Jamie: Thanks, Joanna.The post Bundles, Box Sets and Anthologies With Jamie Ferguson first appeared on The Creative Penn.
Legendary podcaster and founder of Maximum Fun Jesse Thorn joins Ash and Brandon for summer speedruns, a Def Jam: Vendetta update, and the besta Bethesda. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Ash Parrish, Brandon Sheffield, and Jesse Thorn. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman. Watch episodes with full video on YouTube Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums SHOW NOTES: Vampire Diphthong Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles “Striker to the line! Leg it! Leg it!” selectbutton podcast Topher Florence GameRankings.com WatchMojo Splitscreen Kotaku Retronauts Bonk series PC Engine Sega Saturn Taito Gamasutra GDC Jordan, Jesse, Go! Jordan Morris Judge John Hodgman Bullseye with Jesse Thorn Maximum Fun Jesse Thorn Monk Never Not Funny Archive.org 1: What's going on with speedrunning lately? (04:30) Summer Games Done Quick Kotaku: 8 Incredible Speedruns You Have To Watch Right Now Balatro by adef in 1:04:49 Tetris by meme and huff 36:00 Sonic Dream Team by huds601 and Argick in 1:06:25 Hollow Knight: Silksong by mathulu in 1:42:41 Peanut Butter the Speedrunning Dog Ken Griffey Jr. Presents MLB by Peanut Butter the Dog & JSR_ in 29:48 Mr. Bones by shmumbler and Spectral in 36:09 Ep. 423 - Explode My Bones Gracie's Game Gauntlet Superman 64 Wayne's World Costco Connection Gray Matter Inc. The Crow: City of Angels God Hand 2: How are old bad games bad differently from how new bad games are bad? (11:32) PowerWash Simulator Roblox Call of Ponchy: Mahjong Warfare 3: Design a new Def Jam fighting game for 2026 (17:11) Def Jam: Vendetta PaRappa the Rapper Scarface Ludacris WC Jay-Z Mankind Stone Cold Steve Austin Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style Shaq Fu Wu-Tang: Rise of the Deceiver Evan Narcisse Zoe Tunnell Carmen Electra Lil' Kim Megan Thee Stallion Bayonetta Umamusume: Pretty Derby Crazy Taxi series Cappadonna Chap hop MC Chris They Might Be Giants John Hodgman Musique concrète Mr.B The Gentleman Rhymer Trap Grime Drill King of Fighters series Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 + 2 Snoop Dogg Jean-Michel Basquiat Too Short Roxanne Shante Yakuza series E-40 4: Are video games artsy? (25:27) Katamari Damacy Walking simulator Yume Nikki Tactile Dome Viewfinder 5: LeFish asks, would you rather live one year of your life with big head mode, loudly speak like a Mario, or only be able to walk like you're tank controlled? (34:07) Big Head Mode Mario Tank controls Charles Martinet Metaphor: ReFantazio Yes Man Eat Pray Love Granada Pop'n Tanks! Bolo Girls und Panzer series Armored Core series Cowboy Bebop Yoko Kanno 6: What's the best-a Bethesda? (43:27) The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Starfield Fallout series IHRA Professional Drag Racing 2005 Mass Effect series Ghostwire: Tokyo Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus Wolfenstein 3D Ghost of Yotei Kumail Nanjiani Fallout Taskmaster Peacemaker Steve Agee Paul Scheer Suicide Squad John Ostrander John Economos James Gunn Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) Paul Rubens Dana Gould Gex Dr. Zaius Hanging With Dr. Z Planet of the Apes series Blaine Capatch The Merv Griffin Show (Seinfeld) LIGHTNING ROUND: Equip This On (56:33) Iori Yagami Red Soma Cruz Kazuma Kiryu The Bouncer (Sion Barzahd) Sora Kefka Luso Clemens Alucard Tingle Recommendations and Outro (01:21:18): Jesse: Delete Out of the Park Baseball off your work computer, The Larry Sanders Show, Vincent Price Art Museum, Vincent Price vs. Peter Lorre in Wine Tasting Contest Ash: Unbeatable OST, Theater of Blood (1973) Brandon: Stella Chang's music, the films of Marc Price This week's Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you. Subscribe: RSS, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more!
Noel catches up with Michele Greene. The Emmy-nominated actress played Abby Perkins for five seasons on L.A. Law. Michele talks about the show's immediate success and her departure from the show. L.A. Law wasn't the first time she worked for Steven Bochco. Michele starred in the baseball comedy-drama, Bay City Blues. She had acting roles in a number of series including Bones, CSI, CSI: Miami, Cold Case, Crossing Jordan, Diagnosis: Murder, JAG, Judging Amy, Nip/Tuck, The Outer Limits, Six Feet Under, Stargate SG-1, Brothers and Sisters, Big Love and The Unit.She also starred in the horror film, The Unborn II and discussed one of the greatest fight scenes in horror movie history. Michele is also an accomplished author. Her first New Adult novel, Chasing The Jaguar (Martika's Magic) was published by Harper Collins and nominated for an American Library Association Award. Her novel featuring FBI specialist Emily Ray has been sold to Storm Publishing in the U.K (January 2025) and is the first in a three-book series. She is also the author of a book series featuring new LAPD recruit, Cassidy Clarke (Thomas and Mercer Fall 2025).
Leonardo Nam is an Argentinean-Australian Korean actor who has built a career defined by versatility and emotional depth. Audiences know him from HBO's Emmy-award winning Westworld, where he starred opposite Thandiwe Newton as Felix Lutz, as well as standout roles in films such as The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants franchise, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and The Perfect Score. Other credits include: The Flash, Disjointed, Hawaii Five-O, Royal Pains, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Bones, Maggie, MacGyver, Room 104, Sneaky Pete and DC Universe's Swap Thing to name a few. Off-screen, Leonardo is also entering a major new chapter creatively with the launch of Good On Ya Productions, his independent film and television banner focused on globally-minded, character-driven storytelling. Leonardo is returning to the spotlight as the fan-favorite character Maddox Hatter, alongside Kylie Cantrall, Malia Baker, Brandy, and Rita Ora in Descendants: Wicked Wonderland. As the fifth instalment in the hit franchise, Descendants: Wicked Wonderland follows Red and Chloe as they confront the fallout of their time travel through Wonderland and face the now-villainous Maddox Hatter. Descendants: Wicked Wonderland will premiere globally July 16, 2026, on Disney Channel and stream the following day on Disney+. Also check out his new film, Love Is The Monster, out now! We chat about studying clown work and the propound impact it had, Descendants, leaving architecture, his production company (Good On Ya Productions), moving to America and sleeping on a park bench, the well, wellness & meditation, artist dates, mentors + much more! Check Leonardo out on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leonardo_nam/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@leonardonam ------------------------------------------- Follow @Funny in Failure on Instagram and Facebook https://www.instagram.com/funnyinfailure/ https://www.facebook.com/funnyinfailure/
Welcome back to Bropostles, in this episode, the boys help someone with a nihilist family member, whether or not you should date to marry and so much more!saveyourparish.comGet rid of your cavings for p0rn or these guys will work with you for free until you do: https://thefreedomgroup.cohttps://i.convinceyourfriends.com/maryFor more content: bropostles.comSunday and Wednesday! Our Wednesday episode is exclusive to our supporters at $10/month and up on Patreon, which you can access at patreon.com/bropostlesFollow us on Instagram: instagram.com/bropostles Join our Discord community: https://bit.ly/crunchdiscordAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
This week on the AIPT Comics Podcast, we're joined by Scott Snyder for one of our favorite conversations of the year. We dive deep into Absolute Batman, the newly announced animated series, why he believes monthly comics need to embrace what makes the medium unique, and the creative philosophy driving one of comics' biggest successes. It's a candid, wide-ranging discussion on storytelling, the future of superhero comics, and why taking big swings matters more than ever. Visit our Patreon page to see the various tiers you can sign up for today to get in on the ground floor of AIPT Patreon. We hope to see you chatting with us on our Discord soon! NEWS Judge Dredd and Biker Mice From Mars collide in new comic crossover and collectibles partnership Daniel Warren Johnson reveals new project 'Chainkata' for November 2026 Details Michael Walsh's 'Universal Monsters: Frankenstein' returns in remastered black-and-white edition Tradd Moore's first creator-owned solo comic, 'Touch Me Someplace Nowhere' announced Mike Mignola's new art book 'Circus of Bones' showcases over 145 original works Lara Croft joins G.I. Joe in first-ever 'G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero' crossover Rocketship Entertainment partners with Moulin Rouge for graphic novels, manga, and tabletop games Meet the players of ‘Zero Instance' where a video game boss invades the real world DC reveals packed San Diego Comic-Con 2026 lineup Skybound unveils San Diego Comic-Con 2026 plans and exclusive collectibles Marvel reveals full San Diego Comic-Con 2026 plans with Hall H, Midnight Universe, and X-Men '97 panels Our Top Books of the Week: Dave: Witness Point #1 (Nathan Fillion, Heath Corson, Soo Lee) Clayface: Celebrity Dirt #1 (Jude Ellison S. Doyle, Fran Galán) Chris: Twilight Zone #9 (Juni Ba) Dispatched #1 (B. Clay Moore, Daniel Gete) Standout KAPOW moment of the week: Chris: Did You Hear About Mimi Green? #2 (Connor Goldsmith, Josh Cornillon) Dave: Operation: Iron Coffin #1 (Kenny Porter, Tyrell Cannon) TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK Chris: Minotaur #1 (Si Spurrier, Michael Dowling) Dave: Sonic the Hedgehog x Godzilla #1 (Nick Marino, Jack Lawrence) JUDGING BY THE COVER JR. Dave: A Mischief of Magpies #1 (Bilquis Evely) Chris: Nightwing #140 (Jorge Fornes Main) Interview: Interview: Scott Snyder 1. Manga storytelling influence Joe Kelly recently mentioned how manga like One Piece can devote entire chapters to a single action sequence, something that's harder to replicate in American comics because of page counts and production realities. Is manga storytelling an influence on your work, and do you find yourself thinking about how to capture that same sense of scale and rhythm within Western comics? 2. Marvel and DC I recently spoke with Josh Williamson about writing Iron Man, and it was fascinating hearing how he's consulting on DC projects while also becoming part of Marvel's plans. Seeing creators move more freely between publishers these days, does that ever make you want to jump back into Marvel for another major project? 3. Harley Quinn and Joker The revelation that Joker is Harley's father completely reframes both characters. What made that the right relationship for the Absolute Universe, and what storytelling opportunities does it create that couldn't exist with their traditional dynamic 4. Designing Gotham's monsters Body horror and transformation have become defining visual elements of Absolute Batman. What are your guiding principles when reinventing characters like Poison Ivy, Clayface, and others while still making them instantly recognizable? 8. Absolute Batman animated series You're serving as showrunner on the newly announced Absolute Batman animated series. How does that creative role differ from making comics, and what has surprised you most about translating this version of Batman to animation? 10. Court of Owls Finally, the Court of Owls has entered the picture. Without spoiling anything, what can readers expect from your take on one of the most important Batman concepts you've ever created?
This Weekly Spooky horror compilation features four terrifying stories packed with urban legends, cryptids, folk horror, haunted forests, cursed rituals, supernatural monsters, dark humor, and deadly Ouija board terror.An Adirondack newcomer encounters the grotesque truth behind a bizarre local legend. A South Carolina teenager steals a stop sign and awakens something inside an abandoned barn. A family's hunting tradition conceals a blood pact with an ancient forest god. And a lonely child seeking answers from the spirit world follows a cruel joke into unimaginable horror.Perfect for fans of narrated horror fiction, scary stories, rural folklore, creature horror, occult horror, supernatural suspense, and chilling campfire tales.“The Legend of Oopsie Poopsie” — by Joe SolmoA newcomer to a tiny Adirondack town learns that the ridiculous local legend stalking the surrounding pines is very real, unusually large, and desperately in need of a change. “The Stop-Sign Man” — by Bryce GibsonOn his seventeenth birthday, a South Carolina teenager steals a stop sign for a forbidden local rite of passage—only to discover that the old urban legend demands a deadly price. “Ol' Bones” — by Joe SolmoA family's hunting traditions conceal an old agreement with a towering forest god, and two careless campers may force the creature to renegotiate the terms of its bloody bargain. “Why Am I Here?” — by Morgan MooreA lonely boy asks a Ouija board the one question no one else will answer, then follows his brother's cruel joke toward a ritual no spirit should ever answer.
This week on The Comic Source Weekly, Jace breaks down the biggest comic book news for the week of July 8, 2026. The lead story is Skybound, Image Comics, Hasbro and Crystal Dynamics revealing the first-ever crossover between G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero and Tomb Raider, with Lara Croft making a surprise appearance in G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero #330 before the launch of a five-issue G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero / Tomb Raider mini-series in October. That surprise immediately turned into a sales story as G.I. JOE #330 sold out at the distributor level and was rushed back to print. Jace also covers DC and Skybound's Comic-Con International 2026 plans, Daniel Warren Johnson launching Chainkata at Image Comics, Do A Powerbomb Black & White #1 selling out, Ignition Press adding new creators and revealing its SDCC Pavilion schedule, Bad Idea's WARBIRD, Planet Death and SDCC Tiki Party announcements, Judge Dredd crossing over with Biker Mice from Mars, Ghost Machine's Radioactive Revolution cover contest, Oni's Fort Psycho Comic in a Can and Sabrina first look, Universal Monsters: Frankenstein Black & White Special, Mike Mignola's Circus of Bones art book, Zero Instance from Comixology Originals, and the Waypoint Kickstarter. Plus, Jace looks at what hit for the week of July 8, counts down the Prana Bestseller Top 10 for the week of June 30, and highlights books coming up on Final Order Cutoff. The Comic Source Linktree: https://linktr.ee/thecomicsource #ComicBooks #ComicBookNews #TheComicSource 00:00 Hook, Intro and Housekeeping 03:22 G.I. JOE / Tomb Raider Crossover and #330 Sellout 06:03 DC Unveils SDCC 2026 Lineup 09:04 Skybound Announces SDCC Panels and Exclusives 10:59 Daniel Warren Johnson Launches Chainkata 12:20 Do A Powerbomb Black & White #1 Sells Out 13:12 Ignition Press Creator Wave and SDCC Pavilion Schedule 17:17 Bad Idea Block — WARBIRD, Planet Death and SDCC Tiki Party 20:13 Judge Dredd / Biker Mice from Mars Crossover 21:25 Ghost Machine Radioactive Revolution Contest and Geiger Exclusives 24:43 Oni Press Fort Psycho Comic in a Can 26:01 Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1 First Look 26:54 Universal Monsters: Frankenstein Black & White Special 28:20 Circus of Bones: The Art of Mike Mignola 29:31 Zero Instance from Comixology Originals 30:56 Waypoint Kickstarter 32:21 What Hit 37:36 Prana Bestseller Top 10 44:02 Final Order Cutoff 49:04 Closing
Apologies for the issues with Michael and Anusia's audio in this one shot! CW: ghosts, taxidermy (throughout) nosebleed 43:48 implied harm to animals (30:54 onwards) The haunting at the taxidermist's manor seems more complicated than it first appeared! Our hunters theorise and investigate, but only a helping hand will get them closer to the truth. Finn flies into a rage. Lainey applies her cadaver skills. Heather does some calm hacking. This one shot uses the What Haunts Us system by Innocent Goblin, our wonderful guest GM Michael! Our guest player is Anusia Battersby. Today's promo is for Lanterns of London, featuring our lovely guest Anusia! Music by Chloe Elliott. Listen to the soundtrack for free or buy to keep on Bandcamp. This episode includes: The Haunting of Alex Moss Pride Cometh Secrets Uncovered Broken Pieces Artwork by Eiriol Evans. Go to deckofmanyaces.com to find out more about us! There are plenty of ways to support the podcast: Become a patron and receive monthly bonus content on Patreon. Join our Discord for free. Don't forget to submit your questions for the Q&A! Buy merch at our merch store. Give a one time donation here. Other projects: Watch Chloe in The Queen's Riders on EUphoriaAP. Listen to Am and Chloe on RWD. You can find them on Twitter and Instagram @RWD_Pod. Listen to Chloe voice Eadith in Legend of the Bones. Find out what Ellie's up to at elliewebster.co.uk and sign up to their mailing list here to keep updated on all their creative projects. Coming Soon: Watch Chloe in Adventures in the Underhive: The Macharian Conspiracy on Theatre Macabre this summer. Watch Chloe in What Haunts Us and Stewpot on Who Hurt You? AP. Asexuality and Aromantic Resources: The Asexual Visibility and Education Network The Aromantic-spectrum Union for Recognition, Education, and Advocacy Deck of Many Aces is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards of the Coast. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC. All the characters in this podcast are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/deck-of-many-aces. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
ZXSP and DJ Moose have put together an amazing selection of tracks for you in this week’s episode. Since it is almost BastilleDay, ZXSP and DJ Moose are playing only bands from France. Many of the bands (or labels) in this episode have done something for Ukraine. Слава Україні! Героям слава!Slava Ukrainai! Slava varoņiem!Gloire à l’Ukraine ! Gloire aux héros ! ZXSP and DJ Moose Played: Intro – 00:00Krystal System – Elektrostal – Underground – 00:30BLEAKNESS – Words – WORDS – 04:24We Are Magonia – Psychosis – Psychosis – Single – 07:46JE T’AIME – Dead Leaves – Useless Boy – 10:53 Micro with ZXSP and DJ Moose – 15:32 La Ciguë – La rose & le rosier – La rose & le rosier – Single – 18:32Rituel Encens – Spiraling – Spiraling – Single – 22:32Brazzier – Suis-la – After – 26:14The Faded Trees – Sometimes – Strange Summer – EP – 29:43 Micro with ZXSP and DJ Moose – 34:25 Ezekiel Gauthier – Bones and All – Teenage Dark Love – Single – 35:43Potochkine – BI (Justine Forever remix) [feat. Justine Forever] – BI (Justine Forever remix) [feat. Justine Forever] – Single – 39:34Larsovitch – Corps – Corps – Single – 44:45 Micro with ZXSP and DJ Moose – 47:31 Echoberyl – Broken Pieces – Apparition (Extended Edition) – 49:38Denuit – Show Your Face – Show Your Face – Single – 54:36PERTURBATOR – Venus (ft. Author & Punisher) – Age of Aquarius – 58:08Divine Shade – Hate And Oblivion – Hate And Oblivion – Single – 1:02:43 or Listen to The Gothic Moose – Episode 665– All French Bands byDJ Moose on hearthis.at Here is the link to download this episode in MP3 Note: After about a year, episodes may no longer be available here or elsewhere. Shows are sometimes missing from Youtube due copyright restrictions. Use the handy built-in player:
Osteoporosis affects millions of aging adults -- but what if electromagnetic fields could actually strengthen bones instead of harming them? A groundbreaking study reveals the surprising mechanism. In this episode, I'm R Blank, and I break down new research showing how pulsed electromagnetic fields stimulate sensory nerves to trigger bone formation in aging mice. This isn't about the uncontrolled EMF from your phone -- it's about precisely calibrated therapeutic fields that work through a specific molecular pathway. The findings reveal why context matters when we talk about electromagnetic field exposure. In This Episode How therapeutic PEMFs differ from everyday EMF exposure The sensory nerve pathway that controls bone formation Why this research matters for understanding EMF bioeffects What this tells us about the biological activity of electromagnetic fields Featured Study Read the full study: Pulsed electromagnetic fields mediate sensory nerve regulation for bone formation in aging models See all studies at shieldyourbody.com/research
ESPN's CFB reporters and analysts ranked the CFB Head Coaches...Dirt has issues...and should the CFB Playoff Selection Committee take a school's cost of roster into consideration for the playoff selections?
The Fellstar Pirates, Olihara, and Kelhorn make their way into the ruined city of Vokka and witness yet more of Cyric's depraved mockery.CW for undead/zombies, zombie-typical body horror
In the summer of 1982, it became obvious that a serial killer was operating in the Tacoma area and dumping his victims in the waters of the Green River. In time, The Green River Killer, as the press soon dubbed him, would claim a staggering number of victims to become the most prolific serial killer in American history, a title he would hold until relatively recently. References Associated Press. 1985. "Bones found near Portland were from woman on Green River list." Daily Herald (Everett, WA), June 15: 1. —. 1985. "Green River case is tough, but not impossible: expert." Daily Herald (Everett, WA), September 18: 13. —. 1984. "Woman is identified as 27th Green River victim." Daily Herald (Everett, WA), October 16: 21. —. 1986. "Green River: 35th victim is identified." Daily Herald (Evertt, WA), May 5: 6. —. 1985. "County welcomes FBI help in Green River case." Kitsap Sun (Bremerton, WA), September 13: 23. —. 2001. "Green River suspect arrested ." Kitsap Sun (Bremerton, WA), December 1: 1. —. 1985. "Detectives doubt Green River killer has moved to Portland." Longview Daily News (Longview, WA), Janaury 1: 9. —. 1989. "Green River tas force could fold within a year." News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), December 9: 16. —. 1983. "'Green River Killer' may have slain 19 women." Spokane Chronicle, November 12: 1. CNN. 2003. . December 19. Accessed June 19, 2026.https://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/12/18/green.river.sentencing/. —. 2003. Green River Killer Gary Ridgway's statement to the court. November 5. Accessed June 17, 2026.https://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/11/05/ridgway.statement/index.html. Cronin, Teresa. 1982. "Prostitution problem waning." News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), July 15: A4. —. 1984. "Slain daughter should be alive, her mother says." News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), July 1: 37. Daily Herald. 1990. "Green River case stuck, sheriff says." Daily Herald (Everett, WA), July 21: 11. Dardarian, Suki. 1982. "Slayings of five women linked, police believe." Daily Herald (Everett, WA), August 16: 2. Gildenhar, Jan. 1983. "As the death toll rises, police seek new leads." News Tribune (Spokan, WA), November 6: 14. Gillespie, Elizabeth. 2005. "Hiker finds skull of Green River killer victim." News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), November 23: 13. Gutman, David. 2024. "DNA testing, onbituary helped identify victim of Green River killer." Spokesman-Review (Spokane, WA), January 7: 5. Harden, Mark. 1985. "With no new murders in a year, Green River trail grows cold." Daily Herald (Everett, WA), January 6: 31. Ho, Vanessa, Hector Castro, and Tracy Johnson. 2001. A father led police to Ridgway in 1983. December 6. Accessed June 11, 2026.https://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/article/a-father-led-police-to-ridgway-in-1983-1073920.php. Hunter, Steve. 2024. Reichert shares details of Green River Killer case with Kent students. April 25. Accessed June 10, 2026.https://www.kentreporter.com/2024/04/25/reichert-shares-details-of-green-river-killer-case-with-kent-students/. —. 2024. Reichert shares details of Green River Killer case with Kent students. April 25. Accessed June 19, 2026.https://www.kentreporter.com/2024/04/25/reichert-shares-details-of-green-river-killer-case-with-kent-students/. Johnson, Gene. 2003. "Everett father's words draw tears." Daily Herald (Everett, WA), December 19: 1. McCarthy, Terry, and Nathan Thronburgh. 2002. "River of death." Time, June 3. News Tribune. 1983. "A killer is loose, does anyone care?" News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), November 9: 22. —. 1982. "Local prostitute among dead." News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), August 17: 1. —. 1982. "Police have Green River killer's mental profile." News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), September 21: 4. Rule, Ann. 2005. Green River, Running Red: The Real Story of the Green River Killer--America's Deadliest Serial Murderer. New York, NY: Pocket Books. Smith, Carlton, and Thomas Guillen. 1991. The Search for the Green River Killer. New York, NY: Onyx. State of Washington v Gary Leon Ridgway. 2001. 01-01-10270-9 SEA (Superior Court of Washington for King County). Sullivan, Jennifer. 2012. "Another Green River victim ID'd." Longview Daily News, June 20: 3. Suttle, Gestin. 1993. "Skull found near Auburn identified as Bellevue woman, 19." News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), February 5: 20. Walter, Jess. 1990. "Possible suspects listed in killings." Spokane Chronicle, June 22: 3. Wilson, Duff. 2003. Profiler can't recall why he said letter wasn't from Green River killer. November 26. Accessed June 11, 2026.https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20031126/greenriver26m/profiler-cant-recall-why-he-said-letter-wasnt-from-green-river-killer. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash KelleyListener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra LallyListener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In this episode, Jake explores the principles that underpin resilient tendons and long-term athletic durability. The conversation covers key differences between Achilles and patellar tendon rehabilitation, how loading strategies should be adapted to each, and why avoiding dramatic peaks and valleys in training is essential for keeping tendons healthy. Jake also discusses the often-overlooked role of bone health and bone loading in performance, along with practical concepts coaches and athletes can use to build more robust, resilient lower limbs. Today's episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and the Vert Trainer
Today, we explore the dark rituals and influence of the Skull and Bones society to uncover the secrets of the tomb and the elite figures who emerged from its shadows to shape the world. Welcome to Camp!
We're still riding the high of Dara's win from this year's contest, but how close had Bulgaria come to the glass microphone before? Pretty close... and very far, depending on the year. We're looking at all of Bulgaria's Eurovision entries since joining in 2005, and there seems to be a pattern of high highs and low lows for the country. Jeremy sees through the Illusion, Dimitry's all in on a Poli lifestyle, and Oscar needs there to be a little less screaming. Get a local's guide to Sofia for 2027 courtesy of our friend Manuela: https://www.excedotravel.com/eurovision-2027-sofia-survival-guide/ Watch the performances from this week's episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6rnAKD1QuU&list=PLd2EbKTi9fyX4JEYjGWtFarPpIWz4Ja9k&pp=sAgC This week's companion playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0pfP1bB5ujZIEPu2yCiUzj Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joineurovangelistsEurovangelists is an American Eurovision podcast, made in the US for Eurovision fans worldwide. The Eurovangelists are Jeremy Bent, Oscar Montoya and Dimitry Pompée.The theme was arranged and recorded by Cody McCorry and Faye Fadem, and the logo was designed by Tom Deja.Production support for this show was provided by the Maximum Fun network.The show is edited by Jeremy Bent with audio mixing help was courtesy of Shane O'Connell.Find Eurovangelists on social media as @eurovangelists on Instagram and @eurovangelists.com on Bluesky, or send us an email at eurovangelists@gmail.com. Head to https://maxfunstore.com/collections/eurovangelists for Eurovangelists merch. Also follow the Eurovangelists account on Spotify and check out our playlists of Eurovision hits, competitors in upcoming national finals, and companion playlists to every single episode, including this one!
Simon Jul er standupkomiker, podcastvært og et af de mest nysgerrige mennesker, jeg kender. I dagens afsnit tager vi på eventyr. Simon fortæller om sine mange rejser, blandt andet til Yakutsk i Sibirien, hvor han boede hos en lokal familie og endte med at få deres families våbenskjold tatoveret. Vi kommer også forbi de gamle gulag-fængsler, The Road of Bones og hans tid med at arbejde i Japan. Vi snakker selvfølgelig også om comedy. Simon er begyndt at bygge sit næste onemanshow op, som får premiere i 2027, og vi vender processen med at teste materiale på open mics og langsomt finde ud af, hvad showet egentlig skal være. Derudover nørder vi igennem. Om Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons og rollespil generelt, og hvorfor den slags universer bliver ved med at være en uudtømmelig kilde til fantasi. Vi kommer også omkring Simons podcast Historien på hovedet, og hvordan det overhovedet kom i stand, at han og Rane Willerslev endte med at lave en historiepodcast sammen. Gå fornøjelse, Christian. Vil du høre resten? Så find hele episoden eksklusivt på Podimo: http://podimo.dk/christian Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Hollywood is buzzing about Wendy Braun, and after sitting down with her, we completely understand why! In this episode of UNDRESSED: THE INTERVIEW, we get to know the incredibly talented actress behind the Emmy-worthy buzz surrounding Jury Duty Company Retreat and revisit the remarkable career that has made her one of television's most recognizable faces. From starring in Atypical, General Hospital, Grey's Anatomy, This Is Us, Bones, Castle, Criminal Minds, and more than 80 IMDb credits, Wendy opens up about the long road to success, including the heartbreaking rejection that saw ten of Hollywood's top commercial agents turn her away before she went on to book 19 national commercials in a single year. She also shares the surreal moment of working alongside her childhood crush, David Cassidy, dancing in The Big Lebowski, performing with Earth, Wind & Fire and Natalie Cole, and why every rejection ultimately prepared her for the opportunities she's enjoying today. We also dive deep into one of television's most talked-about new comedies, Jury Duty Company Retreat, where Wendy reveals the unbelievable behind-the-scenes secrets that have everyone talking. From performing dangerous stunt work in a single take to acting alongside someone who had no idea they were starring in a television series, she explains how the production combines scripted comedy with hidden cameras in one of the most ambitious concepts we've ever heard. It's unlike anything currently on television and her stories had us completely fascinated. Of course, we couldn't resist sharing plenty of laughs along the way. From remodeling our new studio and almost spray-painting ourselves into oblivion, to hair transplant confessions, Captain Fun hats, fashion talk, and our ongoing acting rivalry, the conversation goes everywhere in the best possible way. Wendy also gives us a masterclass on mindset, explaining why chasing authenticity instead of perfection has been the secret to her longevity in Hollywood. One of our favorite moments comes when Wendy talks about choosing motherhood over career opportunities that would have taken her away from her family. Her heartfelt perspective on raising two remarkable sons reminds us that while awards and success are wonderful, family is the legacy that matters most. It's an emotional conversation filled with honesty, inspiration, and genuine gratitude. Join us as we laugh, reminisce, celebrate Wendy's incredible career, and discover why everyone from Mike Ruiz to Emmy voters is talking about her. And don't miss what's coming next, because Wendy joins us tomorrow for UNDRESSED: THE HOT SEAT, where we tackle today's hottest headlines, fashion, and plenty of surprises! CHAPTERS: Subscribe to our audio: linktr.ee/undressedpod Follow Pol Atteu: Instagram: @polatteu Tiktok: @polatteu Twitter: @polatteu www.polatteu.com Follow Patrik Simpson: Instagram: @patriksimpson Tiktok: @patriksimpsonbh www.patriksimpson.com Follow SnowWhite90210: Instagram: @snowwhite90210 Twitter: @SnowWhite9010 www.snowwhite90210.com Watch Gown and Out In Beverly Hills on Prime Video. www.gownandoutinbeverlyhills.com #UndressedPodcast Armenian Coffee Reading: https://polatteu.com/armenian-coffee-cup-read SnowWhite90210 SnowBubu is a Perfectgift! https://polatteu.com/shop/ols/products/snowbubu90210 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Our middle & high school students are back from Elevate Summer Camp and are on fire for Jesus! They are ready for REVIVAL in our city, nation and world. What is revival? How do we encounter it, keep it, and walk in it? In this message, we are going to see what Ezekiel 37 has to say about revival! Be encouraged from a message from the Bible from Gavin Giroux.
Becoming Jane, Emily and Jessica Today's guest is actress Laura Spencer, best known to many fans as Emily Sweeney from The Big Bang Theory. I first discovered Laura long before that, though, when she portrayed Jane Bennet in the acclaimed web series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, which quickly became a favorite in our house. She also appeared as Jessica Warren on Bones, making it easy to appreciate the incredible range she's brought to so many memorable roles. In this interview, Laura shares the story of how she got her start in Hollywood. This journey led to roles on The Big Bang Theory, Bones, and The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, and to what it takes to build a lasting career in the entertainment industry. We also discuss some fun and unexpected discoveries I made while researching her career, the biggest challenges she's faced as an actress, and the valuable lessons she's learned along the way. Whether you're a fan of The Big Bang Theory, Bones, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, or simply enjoy hearing behind-the-scenes stories from talented actors, this conversation with Laura Spencer offers an entertaining and insightful look at her career, memorable performances, and life as a working actress. For more information on Laura Spencer, please visit the following - Instagram - @itslauraspencer Pop Culture Addicts Theme song "Racing in Darkness" by Nautilus '54 - https://nautilus54.bandcamp.com/album/the-fell-star-2 For more on our show partners - Level Up Sabers - https://bit.ly/LevelUpFSF Once Upon a Tee - https://www.onceuponatee.net/?ref=pcapod Sign Up for Free Loot here - www.pcapod.com/contact For more on our Show - Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/popcultureaddicts Join our Discord! https://discord.gg/cpry4fCDTq Visit our website: https://www.pcapod.com PCA on Instagram, and Threads - @pcapodshow This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
Jesus, People, Mission Recorded on May 27th, 2026
In the summer of 1982, it became obvious that a serial killer was operating in the Tacoma area and dumping his victims in the waters of the Green River. In time, The Green River Killer, as the press soon dubbed him, would claim a staggering number of victims to become the most prolific serial killer in American history, a title he would hold until relatively recently. References Associated Press. 1985. "Bones found near Portland were from woman on Green River list." Daily Herald (Everett, WA), June 15: 1. —. 1985. "Green River case is tough, but not impossible: expert." Daily Herald (Everett, WA), September 18: 13. —. 1984. "Woman is identified as 27th Green River victim." Daily Herald (Everett, WA), October 16: 21. —. 1986. "Green River: 35th victim is identified." Daily Herald (Evertt, WA), May 5: 6. —. 1985. "County welcomes FBI help in Green River case." Kitsap Sun (Bremerton, WA), September 13: 23. —. 2001. "Green River suspect arrested ." Kitsap Sun (Bremerton, WA), December 1: 1. —. 1985. "Detectives doubt Green River killer has moved to Portland." Longview Daily News (Longview, WA), Janaury 1: 9. —. 1989. "Green River tas force could fold within a year." News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), December 9: 16. —. 1983. "'Green River Killer' may have slain 19 women." Spokane Chronicle, November 12: 1. CNN. 2003. . December 19. Accessed June 19, 2026. https://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/12/18/green.river.sentencing/. —. 2003. Green River Killer Gary Ridgway's statement to the court. November 5. Accessed June 17, 2026. https://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/11/05/ridgway.statement/index.html. Cronin, Teresa. 1982. "Prostitution problem waning." News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), July 15: A4. —. 1984. "Slain daughter should be alive, her mother says." News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), July 1: 37. Daily Herald. 1990. "Green River case stuck, sheriff says." Daily Herald (Everett, WA), July 21: 11. Dardarian, Suki. 1982. "Slayings of five women linked, police believe." Daily Herald (Everett, WA), August 16: 2. Gildenhar, Jan. 1983. "As the death toll rises, police seek new leads." News Tribune (Spokan, WA), November 6: 14. Gillespie, Elizabeth. 2005. "Hiker finds skull of Green River killer victim." News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), November 23: 13. Gutman, David. 2024. "DNA testing, onbituary helped identify victim of Green River killer." Spokesman-Review (Spokane, WA), January 7: 5. Harden, Mark. 1985. "With no new murders in a year, Green River trail grows cold." Daily Herald (Everett, WA), January 6: 31. Ho, Vanessa, Hector Castro, and Tracy Johnson. 2001. A father led police to Ridgway in 1983. December 6. Accessed June 11, 2026. https://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/article/a-father-led-police-to-ridgway-in-1983-1073920.php. Hunter, Steve. 2024. Reichert shares details of Green River Killer case with Kent students. April 25. Accessed June 10, 2026. https://www.kentreporter.com/2024/04/25/reichert-shares-details-of-green-river-killer-case-with-kent-students/. —. 2024. Reichert shares details of Green River Killer case with Kent students. April 25. Accessed June 19, 2026. https://www.kentreporter.com/2024/04/25/reichert-shares-details-of-green-river-killer-case-with-kent-students/. Johnson, Gene. 2003. "Everett father's words draw tears." Daily Herald (Everett, WA), December 19: 1. McCarthy, Terry, and Nathan Thronburgh. 2002. "River of death." Time, June 3. News Tribune. 1983. "A killer is loose, does anyone care?" News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), November 9: 22. —. 1982. "Local prostitute among dead." News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), August 17: 1. —. 1982. "Police have Green River killer's mental profile." News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), September 21: 4. Rule, Ann. 2005. Green River, Running Red: The Real Story of the Green River Killer--America's Deadliest Serial Murderer. New York, NY: Pocket Books. Smith, Carlton, and Thomas Guillen. 1991. The Search for the Green River Killer. New York, NY: Onyx. State of Washington v Gary Leon Ridgway. 2001. 01-01-10270-9 SEA (Superior Court of Washington for King County). Sullivan, Jennifer. 2012. "Another Green River victim ID'd." Longview Daily News, June 20: 3. Suttle, Gestin. 1993. "Skull found near Auburn identified as Bellevue woman, 19." News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), February 5: 20. Walter, Jess. 1990. "Possible suspects listed in killings." Spokane Chronicle, June 22: 3. Wilson, Duff. 2003. Profiler can't recall why he said letter wasn't from Green River killer. November 26. Accessed June 11, 2026. https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20031126/greenriver26m/profiler-cant-recall-why-he-said-letter-wasnt-from-green-river-killer. 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What happens to your creativity when you're in pain or sick, and can you ever get it back? How can you find and sharpen your author voice? J. Daniel Sawyer talks about voice mastery, writing with chronic pain, and building an eclectic author business. In the intro, leaning into your Strengths and deciding what you want to achieve by the end of the year; and Bones of the Deep by J.F. Penn. Today's show is sponsored by ProWritingAid, writing and editing software that goes way beyond just grammar and typo checking. With its detailed reports on how to improve your writing and integration with writing software, ProWritingAid will help you improve your book before you send it to an editor, agent or publisher. Check it out for free or get 15% off the premium edition at www.ProWritingAid.com/joanna This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn J. Daniel Sawyer is the author of over 30 books across science fiction, fantasy, crime, short stories, and nonfiction, as well as being a podcaster and filmmaker. His latest book for authors is The Pitch-Perfect Author: Voice Mastery for Writers. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below. Show Notes Writing fiction through chronic pain and re-emerging into health after surgery How your physical health shapes (and darkens) your fiction Rebooting an author business around a weekly Substack column What author voice really is, and why it's fundamentally about sound The building blocks of voice: functional vocabulary, dialect, and musicality The “crossing the line twice” trick for hearing your own voice objectively You can find Dan at JDsawyer.net or on Substack. Transcript of the interview with J. Daniel Sawyer Jo: J. Daniel Sawyer is the author of over 30 books across science fiction, fantasy, crime, short stories, and nonfiction, as well as being a podcaster and filmmaker. His latest book for authors is The Pitch-Perfect Author: Voice Mastery for Writers. So welcome back to the show, Dan. Dan: Hello, Joanna. It's good to be back. Jo: Goodness me, you have been on the podcast a few times, but actually, the last time was April 2017, which is crazy. It's nine years ago. When I saw your book, I was like, “I can't believe we haven't talked for that long.” For anyone who doesn't know you, tell us a bit more about— What does your creative and author business look like these days? Dan: Oh, well, these days it's in a state of recovery because it basically ground to a halt while I was dying a few years ago. It turned out I had an organ disease from the time I was a kid that I didn't know about, and it just progressively got worse and worse, putting me in more and more pain. I hit a point around about 2020 or so where I was in so much pain that I couldn't write fiction. I continued to write nonfiction, but when you're carrying around a lot of physical pain, there comes a point where so much of your brain's activity goes into coping with it that you actually lose the ability to model other people's emotional states—or at least well enough to write fiction. So I was very frustrated, and I was despairing that I was ever going to be a novelist again. Then suddenly, what I was sick with went acute. I went to the emergency room, and they're like, “Oh, if you don't have surgery in the next 24 hours, you're going to die.” So I went and got surgery, and there was one bed in the whole state. There was a three-hour drive to get to the one that was available in the time window. I get there. They wheel me into the OR. I wake up afterwards, and I realise that I'm not in pain, and that I had never felt that before in my adult life. Jo: Wow. Dan: Just the walls of my whole reality came caving in. Two weeks later, I was back up and working, and since then I've been slowly reacquiring my ability to write fiction. So now I've got four novels going again, like I used to have going all the time, as well as doing a weekly column and all sorts of other stuff. Jo: I think a lot of people will be interested in this. A lot of writers have chronic pain issues or chronic health issues, and yours sounds like it was a sort of down, down, down, down—and then more of a sudden up. Maybe just talk a bit more, because I feel like a lot of the time people are too hard on themselves about, “Oh my goodness, if I can't write fiction, is it the end of everything?” So how did you adapt to that, with the mental health aspect of dealing with that change in circumstance? Dan: Well, it was happening so gradually, and it happened at the same time that a whole bunch of other weirdly stressful things happened, like COVID and a couple of family emergencies that derailed my whole life for a couple of years. I assumed it was just really bad stress that would pass with time. So I had the despairing feeling, because when you write fiction, it tends to occupy a central place in your self-concept. I'd also been through very tough times before, so I was like, “Well, got through that then, maybe I'll get through this now.” I just made sure to keep writing something, because at least you keep the discipline of the words flowing. There was still thought going on, so I would have ideas for novels and write them down. There were good days and bad days. Occasionally I would sit down and be like, “I feel like fiction today,” and I would write a couple thousand words, and then it would be 10 months before I could do that again. When you work with your mind, it is really easy to develop or sink into the delusion that your mind is not your body. Now, if you're paralysed or you're missing limbs, you can still write—but your mind and your body are a single system, and eventually, if something terrible is wrong with your body, it's going to affect your cognition, your emotive abilities, and all the things that we depend on for creativity. That doesn't necessarily mean that if you're sick or injured, or you've got chronic health problems from birth, that you can't write. It just means that it really is one of the factors that goes into shaping your experience of the world, that goes into shaping the way you process things and they come out on paper. When there's a massive change in your health, it's going to show up in your fiction somehow. If your health goes way down, especially if you get into a lot of pain or you have a terminal illness, your fiction's going to get darker. One of the reasons—I discovered this after I got my surgery—one of the reasons is that the sense of impending doom is actually a medical symptom of organ death. Jo: Well, don't say that to a dark writer like me. I have a sense of impending doom the entire time. Dan: Well, there's a cognitive sense of impending doom that you get if you're modelling systems and you see how things can go wrong. But the sense that you feel the claws of demons grasping at your heart all the time—that can be a medical symptom. So pay attention to that. I didn't know that until afterwards, or I'd have gotten looked at a lot sooner. Jo: That is really interesting. You mentioned there you are reacquiring the ability to write fiction, or that's what you've been focusing on. You also talked about having to reboot the business. So what are some of the concrete things you're doing to rebuild? Dan: Well, the first thing I did is I allowed myself to get talked into doing a weekly Substack column a couple of years ago, and that's worked out really well. Pay is pretty decent. I've been posting most everything for free except for some previews of upcoming books, but I'm now learning the art of paywalling, so that also helps. Getting paid for the weekly column is quite nice, and a side effect is that it does drive people occasionally to the fiction, even though I'm writing nonfiction. It more frequently drives people to the nonfiction books, but it gives me a good place to announce new releases, to promote book bundles, Kickstarters, and all that sort of thing. It's a very good place for that because the people who are subscribing there—especially the people who are subscribing and supporting—are interested enough in what I'm saying that they want my email every week. So it's a good filtering mechanism for building the email list as well. Jo: You used to do a lot of audio. That's how we connected way back, like 17 years ago, I think, when we first connected. So are you still doing a lot of audio? Dan: I am not at the moment. It's not because of a decision to drop the audio. It's because I am now building my house, and I don't have a place that's quiet enough to record dependably. I'm living in a little RV at the moment while I build the house. In the deep winter, everything is quiet enough in the forest to record some things, and so I do audiobooks for clients, and I work on audiobooks of my own that are coming out. It's not quiet enough to podcast, and it's not quiet enough to be recording any other time than when the whole world is asleep. Hopefully by next year I will have the recording studio building built, and then I'll be back at it. Because boy, I miss it. Jo: I know. So you mentioned there bundles and Kickstarters and things, and we reconnected because I bought a StoryBundle, and your new book, The Pitch-Perfect Author, was in the StoryBundle, which was part of why I bought it anyway. So let's get into the book and what's useful. Let's start with— What is author voice anyway, and why is it important? Dan: Author voice. Everything about the way that you write is part of your author voice. The themes that you gravitate to, the way that you turn a phrase, the way that you tell a joke, the way that you handle dramatic tension. When all of that combines, it creates in the reader's mind an emotional fingerprint, a gestalt that says, “This is a Joanna Penn book. This is a Dan Sawyer book,” or whoever. When you bring the focus down further, author voice is fundamentally an auditory phenomenon. You can see this if you look at the careers of writers who had major worldview shifts during their career, or who shifted genres. If you read an Isaac Asimov mystery, and you read Asimov's Guide to the Bible, and you read Isaac Asimov's The Robots of Dawn, they're all Asimov. You can hear him talking to you through all of those different venues. So author voice is not a genre thing. It's not dependent on content. It has to do fundamentally with how your brain processes language and how it comes out of your mouth. That, in turn, is based on patterns that were laid down when you were pre-verbal as an infant. You learned language by mapping the music of the conversations around you, and then gradually learning that the sing-song you were hearing corresponded to ideas. That's how the brain bootstraps itself into language. So when you start writing, just like when you start speaking, you wind up imitating a lot—unconsciously—the people you've read and heard, because that's how you develop your voice. There comes a point at which all the various influences on you, and who you are, and how they pass through you, crystallises into something definite. By the time you're a moderately competent writer, and you're finishing novels and short stories well, your author voice is pretty well established. But that doesn't mean it's sharp, because most people don't actually concentrate on learning to hear their author voice, so they can't tell when it's off. This is why new writers who revise a lot tend to revise their voice right out. When they write, they're using language as feels right to them, but when they read, they're reading it like an English teacher, or through the lens of someone who has very definite ideas about how grammar should work in all circumstances. So they tend to smooth the quirkiness out of their voice, and what you get is something flat. It doesn't feel alive. It may convey information, it may tell a good story, but it doesn't feel like you're entering something that's living. Jo: I think this is so difficult, especially for people who are new to writing. Because I remember very much spending the first few years going along to writers' conferences, and there were always sessions on “you must find your writer's voice.” You must find your author's voice, and we publish books because of the voice, and all this. It was very, very confusing to me. As you say, it has to emerge somehow, and yet that emergence seems to be very hard to accept. So what are some of the ways we can perhaps think about voice? You mentioned there some patterns. You talk about music. So what are some of those angles? In the book, you have different chapters on all of these things, but maybe just talk more about some of the elements. Dan: The first and most obvious is functional vocabulary. This is not the number of words that you know. These are the words that you can reach for in the moment. You can expand your functional vocabulary by deliberately using more words—burnish your inner thesaurus. The greater your functional vocabulary is, the more your personality is going to come out through your voice. When you've got more options to do something that's just the way that you want to do it, the closer it's going to be to the way you want to do it. So there's functional vocabulary. There's your native dialect and accent. You, being British, have a different set of preferred terms for everything than I, being a West Coast American, do. One of the great differences that's always visible between an English writer and an American writer is that you guys have a different way of speaking. When you speak of a difference between one thing and another, you talk about how this car is different to that car. And Americans say this car is different from that car. It always marks out a British writer versus an American writer. There are 100 little things like that. They happen not just between major countries, but within regions in every country. You could tell on paper the difference between someone from Yorkshire and someone from London, just as I can tell on paper the difference between someone from the West Coast and someone from Mississippi. Even if they're highly educated, the idiom, the preferred turns of phrase, the preferred imagery—all of that is going to be a little bit different, and it conveys that regionality. There's also the musicality of the language. This is the actual rhythm of the words with which you speak. When you learn to analyse poetry or to write poetry, you learn something called scansion. How a poem scans is—what are the beats of the lines, how are the beats of the lines related to each other, and how does the rhyme move in and out of that? A Shakespearean sonnet, or a sonnet from the Elizabethan era, has a specific metre, a specific number of lines, and a specific rhyme scheme, and the metre is iambic pentameter. An iamb is “bum-bum,” if I remember right. It's the rhythm of the heartbeat. It's “bum-bum, bum-bum, bum-bum.” And you can hear it in the name of the metre, the iamb. The iambic pentameter is where the stressed syllable is the second syllable and the unstressed syllable is the first syllable. All of Shakespeare is written in blank verse, which is unrhymed iambic pentameter. The pentameter is five feet per line, so one iamb is “bum-bum”—that's one foot—and five of those makes one line of Shakespeare. We all have inherent rhythms like that in the way we naturally speak, but we can also tweak those rhythms on purpose to achieve dramatic effect. The iamb has the sound of the heartbeat. It's a very reassuring speech rhythm. The trochaic is a much more rapid one—it mirrors the rhythm of a rapidly beating heart. So you see this a lot in Edgar Allan Poe, especially in his frenetic poems like “The Bells,” how they jingle, jingle, jangle on a hoary moonless night. There's a rushing sound to that metre. You're going to find that you will automatically do a little bit of this, just the way that you'll automatically have picked up the convention of breaking sentences up into shorter lengths during really exciting or suspense-filled parts of your book. Once you know what it is, you can start to use it on purpose. Quite a lot of developing your voice is learning to recognise these latent, existing qualities in the way you communicate, and sharpening them up and making them conscious tools that you can pull in whenever you want. Jo: On the one hand, there are a lot of technical words there that are really interesting, and maybe poets know a lot more of those words than most other writers. The book is really interesting in that way—kind of learning about these different things. I guess I want to reassure people as well that, as you said, some of this can be unconscious. So often when I'm self-editing and I'm reading a sentence to myself, there's something that doesn't feel right about it. So I will rewrite that sentence so that it feels right. Sometimes we do something that might be grammatically less correct, but it sounds better than it did before. So many of these things we almost know instinctively, just from reading so much. Dan: Oh, yes. From reading so much and talking so much, and again, from the way you acquire language. That gives you a template in your head of what sounds right. Language is inherently musical. So if you've ever listened to a song—especially one that wasn't recorded by a professional, but someone singing in a church choir, or your kid practising for a recital, or you practising for a recital—you know that feeling that happens when someone hits a wrong note. There's that little wince down in the core of your being, and then the song carries on and you forget about it, unless there are too many of them, in which case you just sort of cower and ooze out of the room. That feeling of “Ooh, someone just hit a wrong note”—that's exactly the feeling you get when you're reading through to edit your work and something is off in the technical layer of your voice. You should pay attention to that and rewrite so that it feels good, or feels great, which is even better. You've got the opposite of the wince, which is that sense of rapture and joy if you're listening to a professional musician and they go on an amazing guitar solo, or a flautist does an incredible trill that just sends shivers up your spine. That sense of excitement and joy—that's what happens when you're reading and the author does something with the language that makes the whole piece fly. So you want to be paying attention for those too, because those you'll commit without intending to. When you're reading back and you find those, you want to make note of them, because that's you seeing where you are at your strongest with your voice. By learning both where you're making mistakes and where you're being brilliant—just like with anything else—you can start to advance towards being brilliant more often and making fewer mistakes. Jo: Then there's a difficulty around where the line is, especially when you're an early-stage writer. Many people work with editors, and you mentioned the problem of revising your voice away, and that may also happen if you're working with an editor. Like you said, as a Brit, I work with an American editor, Kristen, and she's excellent. She's very, very good at letting my voice be my voice, and then fixing things that make it better. But a lot of people don't feel that way about their editors. So how can people understand where those lines are between being well-edited and becoming a better writer, and then needing to hold the line on their voice? Dan: It really helps if you understand where you are weak. Why are you hiring the editor in the first place? I'm a big believer in the utility of having other eyes on the manuscript, but it's really important to know what you're looking for from them. You and I have both been to the Oregon Coast writing seminars, back when that was a thing. Jo: Mm. Dan: One of the things they would talk about with editors is when you've got a story editor or a beta reader who says, “Hey, something here didn't work in the story for me,” you usually don't want to look at that point. You want to trace back from that point to figure out where you set the wrong expectation. Any editorial feedback is going to have a gap between what they notice and what really needs to be fixed. As a writer, learning to interpret the feedback properly so that you actually elevate the material, instead of interpreting the feedback like you're trying to do customer service for an employer, where you just want to make the customer happy, is a really important skill to develop. That's regardless of whether the feedback has to do with voice or plot or characterisation or whatever. Some editors are really good at back-tracing and actually spotting the real problem. Editors make their money, or get hired, or get picked by you to volunteer, because they're good at being an audience—not because they're good at being a writer. So learning to interpret the editorial feedback is a really important step in that maturation journey. Jo: Yes. I think “maturation journey” is a good way to put it. Personally, I think it was around book five when I really felt, “Okay, now I see what my voice actually is.” Like, it had to be five novels, and then I was like, “Okay, now I know.” I just didn't get it before then, and then finally—I don't know—a penny dropped or something. Maybe I grew into it, grew more confident, that kind of thing. Dan: Yes, and that's actually about right. If you look at writers with a big catalogue, five books in is usually where they start really sounding like them. So that's a pretty normal maturation curve. There is a way to speed it up, which is to read your books aloud—or even better, make audiobooks and then listen to them a thousand times. Listen to them until you are sick of them, and then listen to them until you start to like them again. Jo: That's a lot. Dan: It's a lot, but there's a really specific neurological mechanism at work. You're familiar with the comedy term “crossing the line twice,” right? Jo: Not really. Dan: Okay. Have you seen the Monty Python Spam sketch? Jo: Yes. Dan: Okay. So for those of you who have not seen this—in the Monty Python Spam sketch, there's a couple, they're in a diner, and everything on the menu has spam in it. They say the word “spam” so much that you just want to shoot your television. But they keep it up, and then suddenly, at some point—it's a different point for everybody watching—they keep it going on long enough that everybody gets there. At some point, the word “spam” itself becomes hilarious, and you can't stop laughing, and you don't know why, because it shouldn't work, but goddammit it really does. It's so funny that we named junk email “spam” after this sketch, because it's a whole bunch of stuff that you don't want, but it keeps showing up anyway. That's crossing the line twice. What's going on is that your brain is getting accustomed to a sound. It has extracted all of the meaning it can, and so it's doing what it does with all sensory input. When it thinks it's got it mapped out, it's trying to filter it. Unless you are going to sit and concentrate on it, you can't feel the texture of the fabric of your clothing on the back of your legs, because your brain—despite the fact that it's getting that input all the time—is filtering that out, because it needs you to have your resources free for thinking. When you experience something over and over and over, no matter what it is or how complex it is, the brain habituates like that. But if that signal refuses to be filtered, and the input keeps coming, and it keeps getting more intense, or it stays persistent and it's too complex to filter easily, your brain starts to think, “Oh, maybe I shouldn't be filtering this out.” “Maybe there's meaning here that's important for my survival that I hadn't extracted.” And so suddenly it starts searching for meaning to associate with that sensation—and that's the point at which the joke becomes funny again, or you start to experience your voice as if it's somebody else's. When you begin to experience your author voice as if it's somebody else's, you can hear it as a distinct, objective style, rather than just as an echo of the voices that are in your head. That's why music students practise over and over and over, even on a piece they know cold. They're doing the same trick that I'm advocating with listening to your audiobooks until you're not sick of them anymore. Jo: I mean, I think that's terrifying, because I just don't want to listen to my books over and over again. I think it's very interesting that you think it could shortcut that voice process. Staying on audio—since we last spoke, I have done a lot of my own audiobook narration, mainly for nonfiction, but also my short stories. I haven't done my full-length fiction. What I discovered in doing this is that what read fine to me when I was self-editing my own work on the page—and obviously I'm hearing it in my head—when I perform the audiobook, I actually have to edit things again. So what are some of your tips for how we can bridge that gap? Because that's kind of strange. Dan: So what's happening is that there's a much wider latitude of things that work on the page than what works with voice. The reason is that with voice, all of those rhythmic elements I was talking about before are really pronounced, as well as all the sensual elements. Basically every word and sound has a mouth shape. The mouth shape affects the emotional valence of the sound. Stuff that's unpleasant tends to have a really close-in feel—I'm trying to scrunch my face up—where you would grit your teeth and scrunch up your face if something is unpleasant. And if something is really pleasant, it tends to have a rounded feel, and our language reflects it. In fact, all languages reflect this, because language is a physical thing that's based on the sensuality of the body. So, like, in all cultures “mama” is the word for mother that babies first say, regardless of what it is. It has a round feel, because babies associate their mother with roundness. A lot of language is built up that way, from baseline sensual cues. When you're working just in text, that aspect is not nearly as obvious to you. When you're reading, it's not as obvious to you. It's still at play, but when you go to do something verbally, and you go to read a text, all of those sensual cues come in at the same time. Then the rhythm comes in hard, and you suddenly realise that—hey, that conveys the thought, but it doesn't feel right. So you wind up retooling a bit. There's also occasionally tongue twisters, which you have to work your way around. So that's why that happens. Jo: Then I guess another thing—I hear quite often, people say, “Oh, I don't like my voice.” And they mean, “I don't like speaking out loud. I don't want to be on video. I don't want to be on audio.” I wonder— Does that sort of resistance potentially affect their writing voice? Are there ways people can get over that feeling? Dan: Yes, for sure. There are a few things that go into that. One is basic self-loathing. A lot of people carry it around. Most people learn to make a decent life even though they kind of secretly suspect that they're not worth anything, or they secretly find themselves revolting. That kind of thing you can't really fix with exercises. That's something you fix with — Jo: Therapy. Dan: Psychological work, or spiritual work, or that kind of thing. Jo: Yes. Dan: But the not liking the sound of your own voice—that's easy to fix. Here's why it happens. When you're listening to your voice as you speak, the bones in your head are amplifying the bass signals and attenuating the treble. It's kind of like if you were to shout in another room and your spouse hears you, but they can't make out the consonants. That's because all the consonants are being filtered out by the wall in between, but the bass is being resonated through. The same thing happens in your head. So when you get on a microphone—especially if it's an accurate microphone—you're suddenly hearing what everybody else hears when you speak, and it sounds thin and tinny and unpleasant compared to what you're used to hearing. The really easy way to get around this is to get a microphone that is tuned for singers. The condenser mic that I have isn't made anymore, so I can't really recommend a good condenser mic. If you're on a dynamic mic, the Shure SM58 is the one to use. I podcasted with that for years before I could afford an upgrade. It is tuned for singers to sound as good as possible without any other help from the sound engineer, which means that the baseline sound for that microphone is what you're hearing in your head. If you use the right equipment, you get around that problem really quickly, to the extent that you can technically. Then after that, it's just a matter of crossing the line twice. You listen to yourself enough that you stop hearing, “Oh my God, I'm talking,” and you start hearing, “Oh, that voice is making this sound.” And once you hear, “Oh, it's that voice making this sound,” you don't have that problem anymore, ever again. Jo: Oh, good. Well, hopefully that's fixed it for people. And of course, there are lots of brilliant things in the book, The Pitch-Perfect Author. Before we finish up, I did want to return to your Substack. I was having a look at it, and it includes some really interesting things. Like, you're doing this metalwork, which is really cool. It felt coherent to me, because I know you, and you're a polymath, and you're interested in so many things. So your Substack kind of stood out to me as quite eclectic, compared to, say, other writers who are going on Substack to try and sell specific books. So is this a deliberate marketing choice, or is it just be an interesting person and you will attract people who are interested more generally? Dan: Well, I suppose it kind of winds up being the latter, but basically it's that I get bored easily. If I'm going to be writing every week, I need to stay interested in it. One of the books I wrote when I was really sick—that's not out on the market yet, but it is serialised on Substack—is a guide to self-education. It'll be coming out later this year on the general market. It's called Reclaiming Your Mind: An Autodidact's Bible. I talk in there quite a bit about the illusion of discrete areas of knowledge. There is a level of learning at which the silos of information start to collapse together. Woodworking and writing have a lot to do with each other. A lot of the terminology we use in writing is pulled from the trades—especially woodworking, and metalworking, and gunsmithing. As you begin to spot these connections between different areas of knowledge, it becomes really easy to slide between them for your hobbies, for your writing, for just your personal gratification. As I've gotten older—and also as I've gotten access to a little space that's not contained within a teeny little apartment—I have just gone with it. As I've discovered, “Hey, this thing is tangentially connected to this other thing over here,” I'm like, “Oh, well, I'm going to go over to this other thing and see what's over there.” It's tremendously creatively fertile. Since a lot of the things that our language connects us to have to do with trades and crafts and nature, it gets you out in the open air, which is really good for any writer—because sitting at a desk all day is worse than smoking three packs of cigarettes a day for 40 years. Jo: I love that. Dan: My curiosity is the chief feature of my Substack, and it kind of works for me as a writer, because it's also one of the chief features of my fiction. Jo: Me too, and I was actually quite inspired by your Substack. Because I think this happens when you've been in the writing industry long enough. Substack has become the sort of trendy place to be now. People are going into specific niches, very much like blogging did, and then podcasting had to be on a specific niche, and all this. Of course, we know logically that, marketing a book—you know, if you had just a Substack on voice mastery, then for sure that would be a better marketing vehicle. But, as you say, how boring. Dan: Well, it depends a lot on what you're trying to cultivate as an author. If you're a single-genre author with a very narrow niche, and you're really happy writing that kind of stuff, then a narrow column supporting it is not a bad idea. Especially when you serialise old novels, once you've got 20 or 30 under your belt. That's not a bad idea, because you're trying to attract people who want one thing and want it regularly. If I were to get a reader who wants one thing and wants it regularly, and finds it, say, in my Clarke Lantham mysteries, and then they hop over to my science fiction—oh boy, are they going to be pissed. If they're not there for my voice, and they're just there for the way I write a mystery plot, then not only are they not going to get what they're looking for—but they're going to start to doubt whether they can trust that they're going to get what they're looking for in my next mystery. Whereas if they're coming to me through something where the multiplicity of what I'm doing is on display—whether that's this Substack, or whether that's what I used to do on The Every Day Novelist when I was podcasting that, or whether it's what I did with all the after-shows on my fiction podcast when I was doing that—then they kind of know what they're in for. The people who stick with me are more likely to be people who are in it for the experience of my voice. And for my bibliography, that's what I've got to offer, because I'm all over the place in terms of genre and subject matter. Jo: Yes, which is why I find you interesting. Dan: Oh, why thank you. Jo: So where can people find you and your books online? Dan: Well, you can find pretty much everything at JDsawyer.net. I've got the weekly column at jdanielsawyer.substack.com. At jdsawyer.net there's a page with all of my podcasts on it, and there's also a store with all of my books on it. Of course, everything is also available on Amazon and just about everywhere that the distributors take you. Jo: Brilliant. Well, thanks so much for your time, Dan. That was great. Dan: Thank you, Joanna. It was great to talk to you again.The post Author Voice Mastery, And Rebooting an Author Business With J. Daniel Sawyer first appeared on The Creative Penn.
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