Podcasts about Embers

Since 2011, the at-home DNA testing company 23andMe has invited its users to “celebrate your ancient DNA” with its Neanderthal report, which tells users whether their prehistoric genes predispose them to certain behaviors, like hoarding or not getting hangry. In the 1880s, Neanderthals were not being celebrated at all—they were depicted as little more than troglodytes with tools—and the 1980s weren't much better: rough hair, swarthy skin, dull eyes, jutting foreheads … an evolutionary dead end. Today, armed with recently decoded Neanderthal DNA, researchers are reconstructing these archaic people as lighter-skinned, blue-eyed, and blond. For historian Stefanos Geroulanos, however, this new account raises difficult questions. “Are Neanderthals now smart because they are no longer depicted as dark-skinned? Or, conversely, have they become blond and white because they are now believed to have been smart, able, quintessentially human?” Questions like these form the heart of his book, The Invention of Prehistory: Empire, Violence, and Our Obsession with Human Origins, which has just won Phi Beta Kappa's Ralph Waldo Emerson Book Award. Geroulanos contends that our claims about the deep past—whether made in 1726 or 2026—tell us more about the moment we propose them than anything else.Go beyond the episode:Stefanous Geroulanos's The Invention of Prehistory: Empire, Violence, and Our Obsession with Human OriginsListen to Geroulanos in conversation at the Phi Beta Kappa 2025 Book AwardsReconstructed ancient languages like Proto-Indo-European have been similarly weaponized for political ends, as Laura Spinney describes on an earlier episodeAnd our understanding of the more recent past—like Viking history, similarly prone—has been challenged by recent archaeological discoveries too, as Eleanor Barraclough explains in Embers of the HandsTune in every (other) week to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek and sponsored by the Phi Beta Kappa Society.Subscribe: iTunes/Apple • Amazon • Google • Acast • PandoraHave suggestions for projects you'd like us to catch up on, or writers you want to hear from? Send us a note: podcast [at] theamericanscholar [dot] org. And rate us on iTunes! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Fighting Fit" For a little over a delicious decade the London band Gene put out four glorious albums. And since we're here and we have time, let me name them: Olympian, Drawn To The Deep End, Revelations and Libertine. From 1993 to 2004, the band's resume just kept building: They were on the cover of Melody Maker and the NME the latter of who also gave them the inaugural BRAT award for Best New Band, they headlined the Reading Festival, played Glastonbury, toured Europe, Japan and the U.S., logged top twenty singles, put out a killer live album called Rising For Sunset, sold hundreds of thousands of albums and played a legendary sold-out show with a full orchestra at London's Albert Hall. Behind the Welsh- born Martin Rossiter, Gene's crunchy blast of melodic muscle and poetic pounce made them one of the most unforgettable bands around but all good things come to an end and by 2004, the band called it a day. A one-off reunion in 2008 was the only blip on the Gene radar until now. Celebrating the 30th anniversary of Olympian, in October of 2025 all four original members of Gene reconvened at the Apolo in London and blew the place apart and sounding positively ageless. What happened next? Well, fans wanted more so more was given in the form of 2026 March dates in Nottingham, Glasgow, Bristol, Dublin and Manchester. www.geneoffical.com (http://www.geneoffical.com) www.bombshellradio.com www.stereoembersmagazine.com (http://www.stereoembersmagazine.com) www.alexgreenbooks.com (http://www.alexgreenbooks.com) Instagram + Bluesky: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com

01. Alvek - Rouse [DHARMA] 02. U-Jeen & Leyber - Wait for Me (Extended Mix) [INTERPLAY RECORDS] 03. Beatsole - Trace (Extended Mix) [NOMADS MUSIC] 04. Alexander Popov & Huvagen - Omnivium Dictus (Extended Mix) [INTERPLAY RECORDS] 05. Dennis Sheperd, Simon Leon & Katty Heath - Strange Love (Extended Mix) [A TRIBUTE TO LIFE] 06. FEEL - Night Moves (Extended Mix) [SUANDA MUSIC] 07. Kyau & Albert - Unforgivable (DJ Version) [EUPHONIC] 08. Akille & Juna Rose - Lose Control (Extended Mix) [AUDIO IMPRINT] 09. Monocule & Dan Soleil - Colorful (Extended Mix) [PROTOCOL RECORDINGS] 10. Inners - Materia (Extended Mix) [2ROCK RECORDINGS] 11. Roberta Harrison & Embers of Hope - Photograph (Extended Mix) [RNM] 12. Den Eyes - Home (Extended Mix) [TRANCEMISSION] 13. Above & Beyond feat. Malou - Letting Go (Above & Beyond Extended Club Mix) [ANJUNABEATS] 14. ThoBa - Flow of the Dance (Extended Mix) [SUANDA] 15. Anton By - Running (Extended Mix) [INTERPLAY RECORDS] 16. Ørjan Nilsen & Mark Sixma pres. nilsix feat. Clara Yates - Through It [BLACK HOLE RECORDINGS] 17. Roman Messer & Brittany Egbert - Odyssey (Extended Mix) [SUANDA MUSIC] DJ Baldin 1 Hour EuroTrance Guest Mix 18. X CLUB. - Stay With Me (Jordan George Remix) [UNKNOWN] 19. Ben Hemsley - Angel [UNKNOWN] 20. APRD & Sem Zuen - Wacuka [UNKNOWN] 21. Bananarama - Venus (Unholy Remix) [UNKNOWN] 22. DJ IP - How Deep Is Your Love [UNKNOWN] 23. Jay-Jay - Needed You [UNKNOWN] 24. weirdtechnogirlfriend & PAUL LE BÁY - KISS ME THRU THE PHONE [UNKNOWN] 25. Jim Jonathan - Love U [UNKNOWN] 26. KI/KI - What's a Girl to Do in '25 [UNKNOWN] 27. Baron Von Trax & Jim Jonathan - Thrill [UNKNOWN] 28. Faithless - Insomnia (Matthias Geerts Remix) [UNKNOWN] 29. RotorMotor - New Time New Place (2025 Rework) [UNKNOWN] 30. Gusted - Flashback [UNKNOWN] 31. Track2Track - We Are Your Friends [UNKNOWN] 32. Paul Sirrell - Here We Go [UNKNOWN] 33. Domastic - Born Free [UNKNOWN]

"If You Go There I Hope You Find It" Over the course of seven shimmering albums, the Paper Kites have elegantly moved from strength to strength. The ARIA-award nominated Melbourne five piece, led by singer/songwriter Sam Bentley, have quietly been lodging platinum record sales, registering millions of streams and playing sold-out shows across the globe. I saw them play a sold-out show here in San Francisco in 2016 and it was one of the most moving live experiences I've ever witnessed. It's hard to explain what it was like but the closest I can come is it was like an hypnotic flow of seamless folk that ran like a river from the stage and out into the night. And by that, I mean I thought about that performance--or, more accurately, I felt that performance on a deep and almost cellular livel for the next few weeks. From 2013's States to 2018's On The Corner Where You Live to their brand new one, If You Go There, I Hope You Find It, The Paper Kites have asserted themselves not only as one of the most consistent bands around, but also one that, impossibly because each album is so brilliant, just keep getting better. The new album is a stirring blend of indie folk finesses, poetic elegance and sonorous beauty. It's such a deeply affecting album, played with nimble grace, it may only be January, but we might already have our album of the year. https://www.thepaperkites.com.au www.bombshellradio.com www.stereoembersmagazine.com (http://www.stereoembersmagazine.com) www.alexgreenbooks.com Stereo Embers: Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com (mailto:editor@stereoembersmagazine.com) Bluesky + IG: @emberspodcast

DJ EMBERS BOOT BOY REC #15 17-01-26. On www.bootboyradio.co.uk Please Play, Like, Comment, Follow, Download, & Share.

With the final three plagues striking Egypt,, our Nation's centuries-long nightmare in Egypt mercifully came to an end. At the stroke of midnight, all the firstborn of Egypt—both human and animal—died. The cry that erupted from this plague was unprecedented. Never before and never since has such a cry been experienced. With the Egyptian cry, […]

With the final three plagues striking Egypt,, our Nation's centuries-long nightmare in Egypt mercifully came to an end. At the stroke of midnight, all the firstborn of Egypt—both human and animal—died. The cry that erupted from this plague was unprecedented. Never before and never since has such a cry been experienced. With the Egyptian cry, Pharaoh finally cried uncle. His total and unconditional surrender before God was complete. But let's backtrack a bit. Why was the nation condemned to be enslaved in Egypt for multiple centuries to begin with? Why was Abraham told that his descendants will be foreigners in a foreign land even before Abraham bore any descendants? In this very special edition of the Parsha Podcast, we go backstage and discover some fascinating secrets regarding the enslavement of the Israelites and the dramatic, wondrous, miraculous redemption of the Exodus. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –NEW TORCH Mailing Address POBox:TORCHPO BOX 310246HOUSTON, TX 77231-0246– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletterrabbiwolbe.com/newsletter– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe's PodcastsThe Parsha PodcastThe Jewish History PodcastThe Mitzvah Podcast This Jewish LifeThe Ethics PodcastTORAH 101 ★ Support this podcast ★

Welcome back to AthCastMusic. My name is Marlene Sokol Stewart, and this is my Podcast.Today's Episode is about one of those stories that feels like the ghost of Athens past. The people. The places, the timing, and the music that couldn't have happened anywhere else.Our guest Bob Hay grew up right in the middle of the musical explosion of the ‘60's, learning guitar after the Beatles changed everything. Like so many of that generations, it started with Bob listening to bands and musicians like the Animals, Simon and Garfunkel, Donovan, Don McLean, Rick Derringer and then slowly realizing that writing your own songs was actually easier than trying to perfectly play someone else's.High school bands, college years, teaching for a bit, working whatever jobs paid the bills, even time spent at a lobster restaurant in Maine, started Bob down the long and winding road. By the late ‘70's, Athens was funky, cheap and wide open. Empty buildings, a brand new mall pulling business away from downtown, and just enough creative chaos for something special to grow. A conversation with Ken Starratt in the fall of '77, and one January in Athens was all it took to know this was home. Bob worked at the Eldorado vegetarian restaurant among other odd jobs. Listening to bands on Athens WEOG, and concerts at the 40 Watt, created a perfect storm for Bon and what was rambling in his mind.After hitchhiking across the country, stopping at the Grateful Dead's 15thAnniversary, and coming back to Athens, the songs poured out; dozens of them written not just for one person, but for a band that didn't exist yet. After talking with his friend Ken Starratt and a few other musicians, The Squalls became the band those songs were waiting for. Over 60 shows at the 40 Watt, a music scene taking shape, Jim Hawkins (yes, the same Jim Hawkins who played with the Embers and backed Otis Redding) producing the first record cemented Bob Hay and the Squalls as a vital part of Athens' music explosion in the ‘70's and ‘80's. Not to mention their songs being featured in the infamous film “Inside/Out which was a pretty big deal, too. .This episode, like all of the other AthCastMusic's 50 episodes isn't just about one band or one songwriter. It's about the people who were there before Athens was famous for being Athens and the ones who helped build the foundation that everything else stands on. So, settle in! This is going to be a good one!Here is my conversation with Bob Hay.

"Scala" It's hard to explain everything Barry Adamson did before he was thirty. By then, his resume' was so packed with highlights it was hard to believe there was room for more. But there was. Like, a lot more. Let me explain. The Manchester-born Barry Adamson got his start in music in the late '70s by playing bass for Magazine, a band led by ex-Buzzcock Howard DeVoto. Adamson, who was briefly in the Buzzcocks himself, went on to play with Visage and Luxuria before joining Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Adamson played on legendary Cave albums like From Her To Eternity and Kicking Against The Pricks and from there, he stepped into the Iggy Pop fold and toured with Mr. Pop in '87. By then, Adamson was close to thirty and in many ways, that's the point where he really started to spread his musical wings, realizing he liked being on his own than being one of the guys in a band. From there, Adamson started to explore electronic and dub-fueled soundscapes and he moved effortlessly from strength to strength, releasing classic solo albums like Moss Side Story, the 1992 Mercury Prize nominated Soul Murder and his new one, La Scala. More on that in a minute. Over the course of his winning career, Adamson has played with The Birthday, Party, collaborated with everyone from Pulp's Jarvis Crocker to Billy McKenzie of the Associates, contributed to movie soundtracks like David Lynch's Lost Highway and done remixes for everyone from Depeche Mode to The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. His new album La Scala is the original score for the 2023 documentary Scala!!! Or, The Incredibly Strange Rise And Fall Of The World's Wildest Cinema. The film is a stirring and rousing homage to the legendary London arthouse movie theatre and Adamson's inventive score uses elements of jazz, funk and post-punk noir to detail the rise and fall of a building that meant a lot of people whose lives were saved by the freedom and spirit of life in the counterculture. www.barryadamson.com www.bombshellradio.com (http://www.bombshellradio.com) www.stereoembersmagazine.com (http://www.stereoembersmagazine.com) www.alexgreenbooks.com (http://www.alexgreenbooks.com) Stereo Embers IG + Bluesky: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com

ON THIS EPISODE: (TIME STAMPS BELOW) A review for the series premiere of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and a look at a confusing verse in 1 Timothy that goes against our ideas of godly living! ‍ ‍ AND MUCH MORE! 00:00:30 Intro 00:02:45 Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Review 00:14:30 CGC & Christian Geek News(TreeFall Studios Releases "The Perplexing Orb: Bounce Mania”, Twist of Time by Tricia Goyer and Nathan Goyer, Dawn and Embers by Gillian Bronte Adams) 00:29:23 How Paul Teaches COUNTER To Our Ideas Of “Godly Living” (1 Timothy Geek Bible Study) 00:43:40 Listener/Viewer Questions/Feedback(Should We Support Pagan Businesses With Our Purchases?) ‍ ‍ GEEK WEEK 00:53:36 VIDEO GAMES: Red Dead Redemption 2 01:25:48 On The Next Episode… ‍ ‍ 01:29:08 Essential Issues Weekly: DC Comics Reactions (DC KO's tie-ins are better than the main books? And Aquaman DOMINATES with his new powers! Could he win the entire KO tournament? Very possibly! In this extra-large "catch-up" installment I cover Ultra-Tier DC Universe Infinite releases from November-December!) ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ ‍ Get The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz & More Audio Entertainment From Spirit Blade Productions HERE: https://www.patreon.com/posts/44479037 or on youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNC7Qz41mx8‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ Support this podcast and enjoy exclusive rewards at https://www.patreon.com/spiritbladeproductions ‍ ‍ Join Our Free Public Discord Channels! Invite HERE: https://discord.gg/5CRfFy2GG5 ‍ ‍ SUBSCRIBE TO PAETER'S SUBSTACK, @PAETERFRANDSEN: https://paeterfrandsen.substack.com/ ‍ ‍ Subscribe in a reader ‍ ‍ Open In i-tunes- itms://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-geek-central-podcast/id258963175?mt=2 i-tunes Page Link- https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-geek-central-podcast/id258963175?mt=2 Get fun, exclusive rewards for your support! Visit: https://www.patreon.com/spiritbladeproductions Or Become a Patron! ‍ ‍ All episodes are archived and available for download at www.spiritblade.com , Resources used to prepare CGC Bible Study/Devotional content include:"Expositor's Bible Commentary", Frank E. Gaebelein General Editor (Zondervan Publishing House),"The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament", by Dr. John H. Walton, Dr. Victor H. Matthews & Dr. Mark W. Chavalas (InterVarsity Press), "The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament", by Dr. Craig S. Keener (InterVarsity Press),Thayer's Greek Lexicon, Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Blueletterbible.org, The Christian Geek Central Statement Of Faith can be found at: http://christiangeekcentral.blogspot.com/p/about.html The Christian Geek Central Podcast is written, recorded and produced by Paeter Frandsen. Additional segments produced by their credited authors. Logo created by Matthew Silber. Copyright 2007-2026, Spirit Blade Productions. Music by Wesley Devine, Bjorn A. Lynne, Pierre Langer, Jon Adamich, audionautix.com and Sound Ideas. Spazzmatica Polka by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Freesound.org effects provided by: FreqMan

"Unentitled" It's hard to think of anyone who writes with as much tender ease as John Gorka. The New Jersey-born singer/songwriter has been doing just that since his first album way back in 1987. Over the course of nearly twenty albums, including Jack's Crows, The Company You Keep, Old Futures Gone and his brand new one Unentitled, Gorka has gracefully asserted himself as one of the most vital folk artists around. He's traveled the world, he's played with Suzanne Vega, Shawn Colvin and Cliff Eberhardt and he formed the folk supergroup Red Horse with his pals Lucy Kaplansky and Eliza Gilkyson. Unentitled is yet another winning entry into the Gorka discography--a stirring collection of songs like the elegant "First Snow On The Mountain," the ruminative "A Light Exists In Spring" and the deeply assuring "Hope Doesn't Fall," Unentitled is filled with poetic and philosophical grace. And what I was saying at the top of the show is that Gorka is a thoughtful and humble guy who's generous, humble and kind. You're going to love him. www.johngorka.com www.bombshellradio.com www.stereoembersmagazine.com www.alexgreenbooks.com Stereo Embers: IG + BLUESKY: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com

Detra Denise - Ashes and Embers: How Detra Denise Turned Pain into Power PART 2In this episode, Detra shares what it was like to go from obscurity to fame after being featured in a 15-part series in the Humans of New York. She also opens up about being offered protection by the gents of the Harlem Cigar Room, and what kept her moving forward instead of giving up.DETRA'S LINKS:http://www.detrasstory.com/https://www.instagram.com/onewomannyc1?igsh=MWl2cDB2ZWptYmRlMA%3D%3D&utm_source=qrhttps://www.facebook.com/detra.denise.52https://youtu.be/gj4alIQTka4?si=VD1hLyzE8iztnBd9FIND JANICE SELBIE:Janice Selbie's best-selling book, Divorcing Religion: A Memoir and Survival Handbook, is available here. https://amzn.to/4mnDxuoRecordings from the Shameless Sexuality: Life After Purity Culture conference 2025 available here. https://www.shamelesssexuality.org/Religious Trauma Survivor Support Groups happen online Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5pm Pacific/8pm Eastern. Sign up here. https://www.divorcing-religion.com/servicesFor help with recovery from religious trauma, book a free 20-minute consultation with Janice here. https://www.divorcing-religion.com/servicesFollow Janice and Divorcing Religion on Social Media:linktr.ee/janiceselbieThe Divorcing Religion Podcast is for entertainment purposes only. If you need help with your mental health, please consult a qualified, secular, mental health clinician. The views expressed by guests are not necessarily held by the host.Support the show

“In one cataclysmic moment, millions around the globe disappear.” Jesus returned thirty years ago. Or rather, He sort of pre-returned, the warm-up act, if you will. Many faithful Christians believe in this kind of “rapture.” And in December 1995, two authors teamed up and used this idea to create the most successful biblical end-times thriller we've yet seen. In summer 2024 we overviewed the series. Yet now we'll ask how that first Left Behind novel has aged, thirty years after its release. Episode sponsors Of Dawn and Embers by Gillian Bronte Adams The Case of the Heart Stone by Tulli Cole Above the Circle of Earth by E. Stephen Burnett Mission update Review: Sons of Day and Night by Mariposa Aristeo Behold Our Top Most Anticipated New Books and Movies for 2026 New article releases this Thursday: Discern the Top Three Negative Evangelical Myths about Popular Culture Next week, Lord willing: we announce the Lorehaven Authorship Subscribe free to get updates and join the Lorehaven Guild Quotes and notes Fantastical Truth podcast series: Left Behind Legacy 216. Why Do Christians Fight Over End-Times Prophecies? | E. Stephen Burnett vs Zackary Russell 217. How Did Publishers Steward the Blockbuster Left Behind Series? | with Dan Balow 218. How Did The Kids Get Left Behind? | with Chris Fabry 219. How Did GAP Digital Turn Left Behind Into Cinematic Audio Drama? | with Todd Busteed 220. How Did the ‘Left Behind' Kids Audio Drama Speed-Run the Tribulation? | with Darby Kern 221. How Did The Left Behind Series Enrapture Millions of Fans? | with Jerry B. Jenkins Other Lorehaven resources on the Left Behind series Lorehaven.com search keyphrase: LEFT BEHIND Left Behind (1995) in the Lorehaven Library From the archives, Stephen's article series: Twelve Reasons the ‘Left Behind' Series is Actually Awesome How to Make a ‘Left Behind' Streaming Series That's Actually Awesome, Daniel Whyte IV Secular endorsements of the Left Behind series “This is the most successful Christian fiction series ever.” ―Publishers Weekly “Combines Tom Clancy–like suspense with touches of romance, high-tech flash, and biblical references.” ―New York Times “Call it what you like, the Left Behind series . . . now has a label its creators could have never predicted: blockbuster success.” ―Entertainment Back cover of Left Behind, book 1, published in late 1995: A novel of the Earth's last days. In one cataclysmic moment, millions around the globe disappear. Vehicles, suddenly unmanned, careen out of control. People are terror stricken as loved ones vanish before their eyes. In the midst of global chaos, airline captain Rayford Steele must search for his family, for answers, for truth. As devastating as the disappearances have been, the darkest days may lie ahead. 1. Left Behind proclaims gospel truth* Let's start with the true. This book really wants to get you saved. It's a product of deep Biblical Christian desires to redeem souls. Two authors (largely) make this work: the nonfiction author Tim LaHaye (The Act of Marriage) plus fiction author Jerry B. Jenkins. Both men, however, are evangelicals who want the gospel spread. So the novel shares a goal with others thriller based on possible futures: to tell a plot-driven story yet also provoke reader action. At times the threat of sin does feel lesser than that of Antichrist. All biblical Christians agree to repent and receive Jesus as Savior. Yet not all biblical Christians agree with “pray the sinner's prayer.” And certainly only some Christians accept this end-times scenario. The late LaHaye, and Jenkins as well, would surely agree with this. Let readers, then, always discern what in the book is gospel truth and what are opinions (however deeply studied) about prophecy. 2. The story has unbelieving ‘good' heroes Left Behind is underrated for this—its protagonists are good guys. Buck Williams has high ethics in his newsmagazine journalism. Rayford Steele has been (until now) a loving husband and father. Chloe Steele is a young college student free of remarkable sin. And finally, Bruce Barnes is a decent pastor at his local church. And yet … all these men lack Jesus, and they're drifting into sin. The novel's opening spells out the lurking evil in one man's heart: “Rayford Steele's mind was on a woman he'd never touched.” It seems that Rayford's family-man decency only lasts so long. For the authors, then, the Rapture is as much a warning trumpet blast to his heart as it is a measure of mercy for existing Christians. Many fans reacted strongly to this theme. How could such good people, even a pastor at a church, be left out of any pre–Second Coming event? Weren't they by all accounts decent people? Conversely, lest any Christians suppose unbelievers are all wanton sinners, Jenkins answers that no, we can root for these people. Even without the label, Left Behind shows common grace in action. Common grace can make you decent, but only Jesus will save you. 3. Left Behind stays functional and practical This novel is written, by design, to be as widely read as possible. Jerry B. Jenkins has spoken on this as the authors’ express goal. This isn't literary fiction. Chapters are short. The style is simple. The original Left Behind is a rather thick book at 468 pages, but with large font face, wide margins, and lots of white space. All these invite as many readers as possible; this story is populist. Therefore, critics who fault the book for not meeting the goals they have migrated over from other books are revealing their ignorance or possibly elitism. Left Behind isn't trying to be a timeless classic. In fact, many of the original moments quickly felt very timebound. Characters use dial-up modems; cell phones show up sporadically. Later revised versions updated the technology. Yet as Jerry B. Jenkins told us in 2024, he's content to leave the series as it is. However, Left Behind also feels oddly distant from some moments. Rayford's finding of his vanished family is an emotional high point. Other scenes, like a car bombing, get summarized at a distance. This creates plot accessibility, but not so much character access. With some exceptions, then, Left Behind values truth (and its own strong opinions) and goodness in substance over beauty in style. Again, this was likely by intention on the creators’ part. Sometimes what the prosaic style sacrifices for speed still creates deep emotions because the momentum draws in more readers. Later volumes, like book 6, delved deeper into emotional journeys. You feel (even in passing) the weight of hero deaths and struggles. Ultimately, Left Behind offered a different kind of beauty—brisk and efficient pro writing, repetition, and popular accessibility, all of which set a course for this runaway successful late-1990s series. Com station Top questions for listeners Do you expect the Rapture at any moment? Or some other event? What did you (or your parents?) think about the novel Left Behind? Email us podcast@lorehaven.com or tag as on the social medias. Mandi W. wrote in reply to an unspecified episode: So I am not really a sci-fi/dystopian reader, but follow LH/Enclave for my veracious teen readers. My shocking love was The Chaos Grid and Crier Stone books from Lindsey Llewellyn. Well done!!! I actually read them each in 1 sitting and stayed up WAY too late doing so. ;o) Lydia sent this about last week's episode 294: Your point about sci-fi/fantastical exploration and dominion-taking being a huge part of our future in the new heavens & new earth reminds me of my favorite quote from Wayne Thomas Batson’s Door Within trilogy: the last chapter of the last book ends with the hero asking the God figure, the King, if there will be adventures in His kingdom. The King smiles and says, “More than you can possibly imagine.” That line changed my perspective on eternity completely. Several educational years later, I’m a postmillenial and eager for stories that can transcend time and inspire generations to take dominion of the world for Christ’s kingdom. Here’s to an increase of that in the years to come! Next on Fantastical Truth This podcast and other resources from Lorehaven focus on readers. That's why, when aspiring writers send us questions like, Where can I find an agent? or Will you look at my unpublished manuscript?, we haven't had much to share in that area. Until now. This month we launch the Lorehaven Authorship in the Lorehaven Guild on Discord. Let's explore how these new digital discipleship channels, pro livestreams, and fan-focused Book Festival will help authors cultivate their God-given creative purpose.

Award-winning author Pat Daily is back with his fourth book in The Spark Chronicles.The world is moving ever closer to a global nuclear conflict. Technological disruption by Black Grass and Spark's AI, Morrigan, have created tremendous economic and political risk for major powers. When one of Morrigan's favorite humans, Feral Daughter, is kidnapped by a group hoping to pressure Spark into releasing the technology, Morrigan must act.Feral's closest friend, Will, launches an attempt to rescue her as humanity creeps closer to annihilation. Can Will and Morrigan save Feral and the world?The Spark Chronicles follows a pair of teens as they first, find a way to live in the Solar Prime Augmented Reality Park (SPARK), then must fight terrorists intent on destroying the park and stealing the solar power and artificial intelligence technology behind it.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/houseofmysteryradio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

01. Birdriot & Gotlucky & Temazkal - The Eternal Now (Extended Mix) [RADIANT] 02. Dirty South & Taglo - Holding Me Back (Extended Mix) [COLORIZED] 03. Embers of Hope & Clara Ray - Always See You Fly (Extended Mix) [RNM] 04. Kyau & Albert & John Grand - Under My Skin (John Grand Remix) [EUPHONIC] 05. Anton By & AV - Missing 2026 (Extended Mix) [INTERPLAY RECORDS] 06. Jordy Eley - Let Go (Extended Mix) [TRANCEMISSION] 07. Khainz & Stone Van Brooken - Mosaic (Extended Mix) [PURIFIED] 08. Nat Dankir - Pulse of Night (Extended Mix) [INTERPLAY FLOW] 09. Ponymeadow, KAWSAN & Aldor - Where Do I Go (breezy Extended Mix) [A TRIBUTE TO LIFE] 10. Rafael Cerato & MORGANJ - Slow Down (Extended Mix) [CAPTIVE SOUL] 11. Andrea Mazza & T.F.F. - Maya (Extended Mix) [ANTIMA MUSIC] 12. Alchemist - Fading Horizon (Extended Mix) [INTERPLAY SOUL] 13. ARTBAT, R3HAB, Stylo, Eli & Dani - Fight Machine feat. NAIIM (Original Mix) [UPPERGROUND] 14. Eugenio Tokarev - Please Stay (Extended Mix) [NOMADS MUSIC] 15. Jaki Nelson & polyma+h - Is It Love (Extended Mix) [INTERPLAY RECORDS] 16. Nitrous Oxide & Seb Hennig - Igni (Extended Mix) [ENHANCED PROGRESSIVE] 17. Ruben de Ronde & Amber Revival - River In Me (Extended Mix) [STATEMENT!] 18. Benny Benassi & Tobias Gerard - DISCOTEKA (Extended Mix) [AETERNA] 19. Markus Schulz - No Way Back (Extended Mix) [BLACK HOLE RECORDINGS] 20. Pinkus & Bigtopo - Red Lights (Extended Mix) [SUANDA FUTURE] 21. Tycoos, AYDA & Saphron - Run the River (Extended Mix) [2ROCK RECORDINGS] 22. Airborn - Come With Me (Extended Mix) [INTERPLAY GLOBAL] 23. FEEL - Чудное Мгновенье (Extended Mix) [SUANDA MUSIC] 24. Mauro Picotto & Cafius - Iguana (Extended Mix) [ARMADA MUSIC] 25. Mia Mendi & Blake Light - Lose Yourself (Extended Mix) [A STATE OF TRANCE] 26. Andrew Rayel & EXTASIA - Chasing The Unknown (Extended Mix) [FIND YOUR HARMONY] 27. Time Geometry & NELLY TGM - Hyperdrive (Extended Mix) [SYNCHRONIZED MELODIES] 28. Daniel Kandi - Made of Glass (Extended Mix) [FSOE] 29. Daniele Filaretti - Music To The Fullest (Extended Mix) [EXTREMA GLOBAL MUSIC] 30. Eveek, TOM & Zoozee - Secret (Extended Mix) [FUTURE HOUSE CLOUD] 31. Roman Messer feat. Sarah de Warren - Risk It All (Anton Pallmer Remix) [SUANDA MUSIC]

The Stuph File Program Featuring Mark Morton, author of The Headmasters; Pat Daily, author of The Spark Chronicles; & science writer Andrew Fazekas, author of National Geographic’s Backyard Guide to the Night Sky and National Geographic's Stargazer Atlas: The Ultimate Guide To The Night Sky Download Mark Morton is the author of The Headmasters. It's his science fiction debut, for which he is getting plenty of accolades for. (Mark was also on the show talking about The Headmasters in March 2024 on show #0760. And the re-release of his non fiction book, Cupboard Love: A Dictionary Of Culinary Curiosities, was what we talk about on show #0829 back in July of last year). Former NASA Engineer and Air Force pilot, Pat Daily, is the author of The Spark Chronicles, a near-future science fiction series. The book series includes Spark, Fire & Embers. Science writer, Andrew Fazekas, The Night Sky Guy, author of National Geographic’s Backyard Guide to the Night Sky and National Geographic's Stargazer Atlas: The Ultimate Guide To The Night Sky, is back to talk about taking stock on what to look forward to in 2026. This week's guest slate is presented by Stuart Nulman, whom you hear every three weeks with of Book Banter. Click below to order directly from Amazon.com Part of the success of this show depends on the generosity of its listeners worldwide. If you enjoy the program please feel free to make a donation in any amount, no matter how small, in any denomination of $1, $5, $10, $20 or more.  Just click on the donate button to the left. It will be greatly appreciated. This website is powered by PubNIX a boutique Internet service provider with great personalized service that was instrumental in helping to structure the look of this very site! The computer used for this site was built by InfoMontreal.ca, serving individuals, commercial & industrial companies in Quebec with computers, software and networks. Your needs are unique and InfoMontreal.ca believes the solutions should be too.

"The Bus Routes Of South London" The London-born Jah Wobble is one of the most legendary musicians on the planet. The celebrated bassist burst onto the radar with PiL, playing on the first two albums--Public Image: First Issue and Metal Box--both of which remain undisputed classics. After leaving the band, Wobble stayed busy, playing in The Human Condition and on the Snake Charmer EP with The Edge and with his own band Invaders Of The Heart. Wobble left the industry for a few years working for a while with The London Underground--more on that in a minute--but in the late '80s a newly sober Wobble reformed the Invaders and they put out a string of winning albums like Rising Above Bedlam and Take Me To God. And from there? Well, from there, he just kept working with a list of impressive folks like Sinead O'Connor, The Orb, Ginger Baker, Dolores O'Riordan, Massive Attack, Gavin Friday, Brian Eno, Bjork and Primal Scream. Wobble has also put out a memoir called Memoirs Of A Geezer, which is such a great read, he finished his university degree at the University of London, wrote book reviews for the Independent, wrote a book of poetry, started teaching, played in a band with his sons, and played with the Chinese Dub Orchestra. This list only tells a percentage of the story; Jah Wobble is a man whose lane is not having a lane. He's one of the greatest dub musicians of all time, but he's also someone who's curious about the world and his curiosity has found him exploring ambient music, dance usic, post-punk, world music, dub, Chinese folk, English Folk, and industrial music. His album Old Fashioned Ways with reggae hero Ken Boothe came out in 2025 and it's a glorious and affecting listen. Meanwhile, his other 2025 album The Old North London Line is a proper sequel to The Bus Routes Of South London, where Wobble explores the cinematic and atmospheric sounds of the daily grooves that can be found between stops on the London tracks. www.jahwobble.com (http://www.jahwobble.com) www.bombshellradio.com www.stereoembersmagazine.com (http://www.stereoembersmagazine.com) www.alexgreenbooks.com (http://www.alexgreenbooks.com) Stereo Embers: IG + BLUESKY: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com

Detra Denise - Ashes and Embers: How Detra Denise Turned Pain into Power PART 1 Content Warning: CSA, suicidality, familial estrangementMy guest today is Detra Denise, a former pastor's wife who dared to change her life in unimaginable ways. After leaving her toxic marriage, Detra moved to New York City to start over. Thanks to both her love of connecting with people and her musical and storytelling skills, Detra built an exciting and meaningful new life for herself—and was featured in Brandon Stanton's "Humans of New York" along the way! From writing and performing her own one-woman musical show to creating her own premium cigar line, Detra's story of resilience is powerful and deeply moving.DETRA'S LINKS:http://www.detrasstory.com/https://www.instagram.com/onewomannyc1?igsh=MWl2cDB2ZWptYmRlMA%3D%3D&utm_source=qrhttps://www.facebook.com/detra.denise.52https://youtu.be/gj4alIQTka4?si=VD1hLyzE8iztnBd9FIND JANICE SELBIE:Janice Selbie's best-selling book, Divorcing Religion: A Memoir and Survival Handbook, is available here. https://amzn.to/4mnDxuoRecordings from the Shameless Sexuality: Life After Purity Culture conference 2025 available here. https://www.shamelesssexuality.org/Religious Trauma Survivor Support Groups happen online Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5pm Pacific/8pm Eastern. Sign up here. https://www.divorcing-religion.com/servicesFor help with recovery from religious trauma, book a free 20-minute consultation with Janice here. https://www.divorcing-religion.com/servicesFollow Janice and Divorcing Religion on Social Media:linktr.ee/janiceselbieThe Divorcing Religion Podcast is for entertainment purposes only. If you need help with your mental health, please consult a qualified, secular, mental health clinician. The views expressed by guests are not necessarily held by the host.Support the show

GC13 and David discuss The Lion of Embers from the second season of Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake. Finn is safely in the Candy Kingdom, though there are an awful lot of princess who want to give him the reverse Snow White treatment. Huntress could use some of that lip moisture though, she’s currently dying of thirst literally while the princesses do so figuratively. Thankfully the universe provided and she survives, now it’s going to get good.

RUNES, TAVERN MESSAGES, AND HIDDEN HISTORIES Colleague Eleanor Barraclough. John Batchelorinterviews Eleanor Barraclough about her book, Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age. They discuss a specific runic inscription from roughly 1200 AD found on a piece of wood in a tavern in Bergen, Norway. The message is from a woman named Gyda telling her husband to come home, to which he seemingly carved a nonsensical, drunken response. Barraclough explains her methodology of using such everyday objects—"embers of the hands"—to reveal the personal lives of individuals often lost in the grand scope of history. The segment also establishes the 793 AD raid on Lindisfarne as the traditional, shocking start of the Viking Age. NUMBER 1

"Measure Of A Man" The North Carolina-born Clay Aiken rose to fame on the strength of his record breaking appearance on American Idol, but if you just think of him in terms of that show, you're not getting the full picture. At all. With seven albums under his belt, the golden-voiced Aiken has sold close to ten million albums worldwide, was the first artist whose first single hit #1, hosted two network television specials, toured with Kelly Clarkson, appeared on Broadway in Spamalot and for a Christmas show with Ruben Studdard, wrote a memoir, sang the National Anthem at the World Series, and appeared on Scrubs, SNL, Jimmy Kimmel, All My Children and Days Of Our Lives. Keep in mind this is a partial list. Outside of music, Aiken co-founded the National Inclusion Project which helps advocate for children with disabilities, he's a UNICEF ambassador and in 2014 he ran for congress. Partial list aside, I know as I was reading that all of you and me, by the way, were like, I haven't done enough with my life. Aiken is also a father and he decided to step away from music to raise his son without distraction. And so he did, but with college on the horizon for his son, Aiken has decided to re-enter the ring and this conversation is all about his return. And a bunch of other things, too. Talking to him felt familiar--like catching up with an old friend. You're going to love him. www.clayaiken.com www.bombshellradio.com (http://www.bombshellradio.com) www.stereoembersmagazine.com (http://www.stereoembersmagazine.com) www.alexgreenbooks.com Stereo Embers The Podcast IG + BLUESKY: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com

Spotifyhttps://www.youtube.com/@auraofembersAppleFacebookBioAura of Embers is the musical project of producer, singer-songwriter, and visual artistEmily Belkoff. Her genre-defying electronic pop-punk sound serves as a “bridgebetween reality and the ethereal galaxy,” crafting immersive soundscapes that blendnostalgia with emotionally resonant lyricism. Her latest single, “One Soul,” is a synth-driven reflection on the timeless pull of soul connections. “One Soul” is introspective and cosmically expansive, layering atmospheric electronicproduction while maintaining a striking sense of intimacy. From the moment it begins,the track's warm melodic foundation envelops listeners in the world of Aura of Embers.As Emily's vocals emerge, they explore the strength of soul connections and the kind ofrecognition that defies explanation, a feeling you simply know when it's real. “I think a lot of people can relate to the feeling of connecting with someone almostinstantly, and even after years apart, still knowing there's something real there.Something bigger than you, and bigger than the circumstances surrounding it. I wantedto give voice to those feelings people already recognize within themselves.” she said. For Emily, sculpting a reality-bending soundscape that breathes atmosphere into thesepowerful lyrics is paramount and deeply embedded in her creative DNA. Her productionfuses indie electronic and synth-pop with pop-punk elements to create a hybrid genrethat calls back to her musical upbringing, drawing influence from artists such as Tycho,blink-182, Angels & Airwaves, Paramore, and CHVRCHES, ultimately forming anidentity that feels boundless and fully realized. “For me, the music always starts with the synthesizer or the keyboard. I'm especiallydrawn to vintage synths because they impart a timeless quality and character. I tend tocapture strong melodic ideas quickly and use them to create the emotional scaffoldingof the song, with the vocals arriving either shortly after or simultaneously. From there, itbecomes a conversation between the keyboard and the bass, which I use to helptransport listeners into a different world. I want to convey a sense of warmth through themusic.” she noted. The cohesion between evocative lyricism and production gives the music of Aura ofEmbers a strong cinematic quality. As the melodies and lyrics dance with one another,listeners may find themselves wrapped in what Emily calls a “gravity blanket,” creating asense of immersion and stillness that feels tender and transportive. “If I can create a moving emotional piece without words, I know that when I add wordsto it, it's going to resonate with someone.” she said. Emotional resonance sits at the heart of the world of Aura of Embers. The name cameto Emily upon reflecting on her own life and the trials she has navigated along the way.While she recognizes the weight of those experiences, she also understands theirpurpose. This became the source of the “Embers” portion of the name, inspired by themythology of the Phoenix and the transformative power of rebirth. .To reach your full potential, there are parts of you that have to die so you can bereborn and rise from the ashes. These could be elements of your perspective, and inorder to gain a new part of your identity, you had to move through those trials. I feel likeI've been forged by fire through what I've experienced, and I know others can relate tothat.” she shared. Emily's first single, “No Stopping You,” channeled outward expression, an anthemicstatement rooted in empowerment and resilience. In contrast, “One Soul” turns inward,serving as a sonic counterpoint to the outspoken tone of “No Stopping You.”Collectively, they highlight the musical range and textural nuance of Aura of Embers. “The first single was about motivating and standing as an anthem of perseverance. Thissingle turns totally inward and is deeply reflective. Together, they begin to illuminate thedifferent threads of the tapestry that is Aura of Embers.” she expanded. Through its layered production and atmospheric depth, Aura of Embers draws listenersinto a realm steeped in tenderness and otherworldly resonance. “One Soul” by Aura of Embers is available on streaming services now.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/creator-to-creators-with-meosha-bean--4460322/support.

“Merry Christmas, Emily” David Lowery does so many things, his CV needs a sequel. He's a professor, a mathematician, a writer, a musician, a producer and an entrepreneur. He's also the singer of two of my all-time favorite bands: Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven. Let's start with the former. Lowery formed Camper Van Beethoven when he was a student at UC Santa Cruz in the early '80s. I was so obsessed with Camper Van when I was in high school I cut class to buy their new album--but I had the wrong day, so I cut class the next day to get it. Totally worth it, by the way. Camper Van Beethoven put out a handful of genius albums likeOur Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart and Telephone Free Landslide Victory before temporarily disbanding in 1990. Lowery didn't miss a beat and formed Cracker with guitarist Johnny Hickman and they put out a handful of genius albums like Kerosene Hat and The Golden Age, logged a #1 Modern Rock track with "Teen Angst (What The World Needs Now)" and scored three platinum albums. This is only a partial history, by the way; but I would recommend reading up on both bands because they have fascinating histories.Lowery has produced everyone from Counting Crows to Sparklehorse, founded Sound of Music studios, was a seed investor in Reverb.com (), knocked out his PhD and was named a Global IP Champion by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. A ferocious advocate for artist's rights, among other things, Lowery launched a pair of class actions alleging major streaming services had failed to properly license and account to independent songwriters. Lowery currently teaches the economics and finance of the music business at the University of Georgia.An authentic career-spanning collection that boasts re-recordings, demos, b-sides and live takes that have never been heard, ‘Alternative History: A Cracker Retrospective' is out now. It's a deep and privileged dive into the rich and vast Cracker cataloge and to say it's a treat falls short of the mark. It's a musical treasure chest. Cracker are touring now and will be on the road at the beginning of 2025 and Camper Van will be playing dates as well. www.crackersoul.com Www.bombshellradio.com www.stereoembersmagazine.com www.alexgreenbooks.com IG: @Emberspodcast editor@stereoembersmagazine.com

DJ EMBERS  SHOW #9 XMAS 20-12-25. On www.bootboyradio.co.uk  Please Play, Like, Comment, Follow, Download & Share.

"Shine On" Formed in Seattle in the late '80s, Sweet Water got their start under the moniker SGM. Comprised of childhood friends from the private Bush School, which we talk about a lot in this episode, SGM played with Nirvana and The Melvins and their 1988 Aggression album was produced by Jack Endino and was lauded by Sub Pop's Bruce Pavitt. A thrashy blast of American post-punk SGM underwent a few lineup changes, recruited a few new members and re-named themselves Sweet Water. Their 1992 self-titled indie album got them signed to Atlantic where they put out another self-titled album. They moved to EastWest Records, put out the Superfriends record, which was a catchy blast of glam, grunge and hard rock and from there, things get a tad confusing. Legal issues held the band in abeyance, so they played under the name Parc Boys with a C, put out a record, went back to being Sweet Water, recorded an album that was supposed to come out on the Enclave label but didn't and instead was released independently. Sweet Water took a break and didn't put any new music out until their fabulous 2009 effort Clear The Tarmac. Since then, they've put out EPs like Dance Floor Kills and their brand new long player Shine On. An infectious, hook-filled album that's rife with melodic muscle and hooks galore, Shine On is a shimmering effort that proves Sweet Water just keep getting better. Now, I mentioned The Bush School and for good reason--that Seattle school is kind of the secret hero of the Sweet Water story and you'll see why in a second. I'll let the fellas tell you everything, but let me say this: when the foundational education is one that fosters artistic freedom, students feel like they can do anything because they're not self-conscious, they're deeply brave and they're not afraid to make bold strikes out there in the world. And Sweet Water has made a career out of doing that.  www.sweetwaterrocks.com www.bombshellradio.com www.stereoembersmagazine.com www.alexgreenbooks.com IG + BLUESKY: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com

The Fionna and Cake takeover continues! Annnnd I forgot to schedule this episode's release until the last minute, so that's all we get for show notes! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/oh-my-glob-an-adventure-time-podcast/id1434343477?mt=2Contact us: ohmyglobpodcast@gmail.comInstagram: @ohmyglobpodTrivia Theme by Adrian C.

Send us a textCinemondo reacts to the trailer for Sholay (transl. 'Embers'), a 1975 Indian epic action-adventure film directed by Ramesh Sippy, produced by his father G. P. Sippy, and written by Salim–Javed. The film follows two criminals, Veeru (Dharmendra) and Jai (Amitabh Bachchan), who are hired by a retired police officer (Sanjeev Kumar) to capture the ruthless Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan). Hema Malini and Jaya Bhaduri also star as Veeru and Jai's love interests, Basanti and Radha, respectively. The soundtrack was composed by R D Burman.Support the show

In this week's episode, I take a look back at my writing goals for 2025, and see how many of them I met. I also take a loog ahead at my writing goals for 2026. This coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in my Anthologies series at my Payhip store: STORIES2025 The coupon code is valid through December 29, 2025. So if you need a new ebook this winter, we've got you covered! 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 282 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is December 19th, 2025 and today I'm taking a look back at my writing goals from the start of 2025 and seeing how many of them I reached. We'll also take a look ahead at my writing goals for 2026. Before we get to that, we will have Coupon of the Week and a progress update on my current writing projects. This week's coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in my anthology series at my Payhip store. And that is STORIES2025. And as always, I will put the coupon code and a link to the store in the show notes. This coupon code is valid through December 29th, 2025, so if you need new ebook to read as you travel for this upcoming Christmas week, we have got you covered. A reminder that the anthology series is collections of my short stories, which I tend to release every year. And in fact, next month, if all goes well, we'll have 2025: The Complete Short Stories. Now for an update on my current writing projects. Wizard-Assassin, the fifth book in the Rivah Half-Elven series is now done. By the time this episode goes live, you should be able to get it off Amazon and Kindle Unlimited since it is my series that is in Kindle Unlimited. So I hope if you are looking for something to read, you will give that a shot. Now that Wizard-Assassin is done, my main project is going to be Blade of Storms, which will be the third book in my Blades of Ruin epic fantasy series. And I believe I'm 12,000 words into that. I'm hoping to have that out in January, but depending on how January goes, it might slip to February, but January would be ideal. And after that, my next main project will be Cloak of Summoning, the 14th book in the Cloak Mage series. And I literally just started it this morning before I went to the gym, which puts me at 250 words into it, so there's definitely a ways to go in that. In audiobook news, we are still waiting on Cloak of Embers (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy) to get through processing at the various platforms, which always, as you imagine, tend to slow down this time of year. And Brad Wills has just started working on recording for Blade of Shadows. So hopefully we should have Cloak of Embers available for you at all platforms before too much longer. And Blade of Shadows will probably be our first audiobook for 2026. So that is where I'm at with my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. 00:02:28 Main Topic: 2025's Writing Goals and My Writing Goals for 2026 And speaking of 2026, in this week's episode, we're going to take a look back at my writing goals for 2025, see how many of them I met, and then look ahead for my writing goals to 2026, which is in fact just around the corner. So first off, a big thank you to everyone who read one of my books over the year of 2025. 2025 for me was an interesting year, both in a personal and a professional way, and sometimes in both the good and bad senses of the word interesting. Sales were down from 2024, but given all the economic turbulence of the year, I am grateful they were only down a relatively small amount compared to 2024. Facebook ads went from my main advertising platform at the start of 2025 to near uselessness by the end of the year due to all the AI nonsense Meta has injected into them. Spotify converted Findaway Voices to Inaudio and made a total mess of it this summer, which after that got settled is why I now upload my audiobooks directly to Google Play and Kobo rather than through Findaway Voices. It seems like a lot of companies are pursuing AI in the desperate hope that it will somehow magically become profitable even as the expense of running AI services devours them from the inside out and renders them incompetent at their primary missions. I was so annoyed at all the half-baked AI stuff Microsoft shoved into Windows 11, I did all my writing on a Mac Mini this year and have been pretty happy with it as a writing platform. Apple, of course, has AI stuff as well, but what Apple has that Microsoft doesn't is a switch that flips it all off at the system level and doesn't do any "install later" passive aggressive crap that Microsoft does. On the plus side, my Super Summer Of Finishing Things let me finish The Shield War, Stealth & Spells Online, and Ghost Armor one after another. Five unfinished series at once was too many. Three has been more manageable. And after five years, I finally got my weight down to what it was before COVID in 2025. Watching some relatives go on Ozempic and the side effects they experienced was very inspirational in the sense of wanting to avoid that experience myself. I thought I would take a lot of exercise and vegetables to do lose weight. It turns out instead it takes a whole freaking lot of exercise and a truly staggering quantity of vegetables. I tell myself the carrot sticks are really just like potato chips when I eat them, and I can almost convince myself of it. They're crunchy, right? Just like potato chips. I told myself that often enough that I very, nearly almost believe it. So let's start with a look back at my writing goals for 2025 and see how many of them I reached. #1: Write as many new words as possible, hopefully hitting one million new words of fiction in 2025. And I'm pleased to report that I hit this one. 2025 was the second year in a row where I reached a million words of new fiction and will come in at 1.12 million words with Wizard-Assassin. It did get a bit tight, but I passed the million word mark with Blade of Shadows in November, so is a nice milestone to reach. Two years of a million words in a row! #2: Finish The Shield War. I did that one! Shield of Power, the final book in The Shield War series, came out in July. It's even available in audiobook (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills). #3: Finish Ghost Armor. I did this one as well. Ghost in the Siege, the final book in the Ghost Armor series, came out in August. It's also available in audiobook (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy). #4: Continue Cloak Mage. There was a year gap after Cloak of Illusion, but I'm pleased to report I finally got back to Cloak Mage with Cloak of Worlds in October. As I mentioned earlier, in 2024, I had five unfinished series, which is way too many. So my goal was to finish some and then limit myself to only three unfinished series at any one time. By the end of summer 2025, I successfully achieved that. So going forward (barring any illness or Unexpected Events), there shouldn't be another year-long gap between Cloak Mage books. In fact, I'm hoping to write the outline for Cloak of Summoning this weekend, if all goes well. And in fact, I started this morning. #5: Continue Half-Elven Thief. It went down to the wire with only 12 days left in the month, but I was able to publish Wizard-Assassin and meet my goal. Like with Cloak Mage, there's a yearlong gap between the books, but that should be much shorter going forward. I'm hoping to start work on Rivah #6 in March or February, if all goes well. #6: Conclude Stealth & Spells Online. I did this as well. I'm not going to lie, it really was quite challenging. I originally thought of Stealth & Spells Online as a seven or eight book series, but it sold weakly enough that I didn't want to put six books' worth of effort into it. So I thought about it and figured out how to wrap up the story in one volume, and I wrote most of it at 500 words a day from like October 2024 to July 2025, squeezing it between other things as time allowed. Then in July, I was far enough along from all that cumulative work that I finished it in like one quick burst. I think I had only like one full-time day working on it. So I'm very glad that people liked the ending for the trilogy and thought that it worked. I'm hoping to release a single volume edition of the audiobook sometime in 2026, if all goes well. Fun fact: the book was 116,000 words long, and since I published 1.12 million new words in 2025, it was in fact Stealth & Spells Online: Final Quest that got me over the million word mark. #7: New epic fantasy series in the Andomhaim/Frostborn world. I did that as well with Blade of Flames and Blade of Shadows. As I mentioned before, I'm about 12,000 words in Blade of Storms, and hopefully that will be the first book I publish in 2026, ideally in January, but it might slip to February. #8: New audiobooks as time, budget, and narrator availability allow. This worked out as well. Like I said, in 2024, I've brought as many of my old series into audio as I'm going to, so instead we're going to focus on recording the books in the new series. We have books from The Shield War and Blades of Ruin narrated by Brad Wills, new books from Ghost Armor and Cloak Mage [narrated] by Hollis McCarthy, and a new Half-Elven Thief audiobook [narrated by] Leanne Woodward. So I am pleased to say that I met all my 2025 writing goals. Now with that in mind, let's take a look at what I would like to do in 2026. I'm not planning on starting anything new in 2026, but I don't think I'll reach the end of any ongoing series in that year. So basically 2026 will be The Year of Continuing. #1: Publish a million words of new fiction. I'm going to try and hit a million words again, but there's a chance ... I'm going to say right up front, there's a chance it might not work out in 2026. I'm going to have to spend at least a couple of weeks on travel, and I know for sure there are a couple of mandatory Real Life Activities that will take up an unknown amount of time. The older I get, the more I can emphasize with former UK Prime Minister, Harold McMillan when he said his biggest problems were "events, dear boy, events." But assuming we can avoid too many "events," I will aim to publish a million new words of fiction in 2026. #2: Continue Blades of Ruin. I also want to continue with Blades of Ruin, which will be my main series for a while. I'm planning for 12 books in this series, so we should hopefully make some good progress with it in 2026. #3: Continue Cloak Mage. I would also like to continue Cloak Mage in 2026. Cloak of Worlds was number 13 in the series and I'm planning for 18. Since I'm only working on three series at a time now, like I said before, we shouldn't have those yearlong gaps between books like I've had in the past for Cloak Mage. #4: Continue Half-Elven Thief. I'm also continuing Half Elven Thief in 2026. I had planned for six books originally, but there was just too much story to fit into six, so we're going to end up with nine. So I'm planning to continue that in 2026 as well. There was a year's gap between Orc-Hoard and Wizard-Assassin like there was with Cloak Mage but hopefully won't have as big a gap for Half-Elven Thief now that I'm only writing three series at the same time. #5: New audiobooks as time, budget, and narrator availability allow. I did this in 2025 and it worked pretty well. I don't want to bring any more of my old backlist books into audio, but instead I'll focus on Blades of Ruin, Cloak Mage, and Half-Elven Thief as time, budget, and narrator availability permit. #6: Other opportunities as available. I think it is fair to say we live in turbulent times, which is often unsettling. The flip side is that sometimes this can bring unexpected opportunities your way, so it's wise to remain alert and flexible. So we will see what 2026 brings. So those are my six writing goals for 2026. Once again, thanks for reading and listening. I hope I have new books for you to read in 2026. And as ever, when I make plans for the new year, it seems like a good idea to reflect on this quote from the book of James: "Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that." So that is it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes on https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave your review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and see you all next week.  

This episode is both a beginning and an ending.Thriving Woman has been a sacred chapter of my life—a space where I explored healing, embodiment, womanhood, and growth as honestly as I knew how at the time. It held real beauty, real insight, and real longing. And it also carried questions I didn't yet have language for.In this final—and first—episode, I'm sharing what I couldn't have shared before.Not a rebrand.Not a pivot strategy.But a testimony.I speak openly about my journey out of New Age spirituality and into a living, relational faith with Jesus Christ. About what shifted internally. About what no longer aligned. About how grace met me not when I perfected myself—but when I finally stopped striving.This episode isn't a rejection of the women who found support here, nor of the season that was. It's an honoring of truth as it unfolded. A laying down of what once served me, in order to walk forward obediently and honestly.Thriving Woman was never wrong—it was incomplete.And this goodbye is not rooted in shame, but in clarity.If you've walked alongside me here, thank you.If you're confused, you're not alone.If you feel the stirring of questions you can't quite name yet—so did I.This is the closing of one chapter… and the quiet beginning of another.Thriving Woman is over - but Embers of Grace Podcast is just beginning

In this episode, we listened to our teens share what parts of Valo resonate for them and what makes our programs and teens' engagement so important today. Our Executive Director, Dana, spoke with the teens during a recent teen-organized coffee house. You can hear their joyous banter in the background. :)

A week early we know, but December is a bit odd around the DarkCompass Household, so enjoy with bundle of festive tunes. Katy & The Wild Ones – Christmas Time is Finally Here Rock The Mistletoe – It’s Christmas Time HPLHS – Carol of the Old Ones Celldweller – What Child is This? Corners of Sanctuary – What if it was Christmas Everyday Spinal Tap – Christmas with The Devil Airbourne – Christmas Bonus Amber & The Embers – It’s Christmas Time Absinthe Green – Satan Baby The Funeral Portrait – In The Bleak Midwinter The Kut – Waiting for Christmas Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts – Merry Xmas Everybody Weezer – We Wish You a Merry Christmas Bad Woves – Carol of The Bells Beatallica – Happy Christmas (War is Over) flecks – Hold Me Darling (This Christmas Time) The Doohickeys – Merry Happy Whatever Clouds Taste Satanic – All I want for Christmas is You An Early Festive Mix from DarkCompass was first played on Hard Rock Hell Radio on the 19th December 2025

"When It Comes To Love" The Massachusetts-born Michael Bluestein got a quick run out of the musical gates and started studying classical piano by age nine, so it's no surprise that the young prodigy's trajectory found him studying at Berklee College of Music. With his B.A. under his belt, Bluestein headed west and wound up in San Francisco, where he spent a decade putting out his own music and working as a venerated sideman and session player with Jon Evans, Will Bernard, Matt Chamberlain, Kitty Margolis, Kenny Washington and Mary Stallings. He has toured and recorded with Shelby Lynn, Boz Scaggs, Stevie Nicks, Burt Bacharach, Enrique Iglesias and Rodger Hodgson. He joined Foreigner in 2008 and that's where he's been ever since, but he's also putting out music under the Beat Glider moniker. Filled with undeniable groove and musical dexterity, Beat Glider is a careening and moving dose of chillwave. Michael talks to us about his San Francisco days and importance of putting oneself out there in the artistic community. www.foreigneronline.com www.bombshellradio.com www.stereoembersmagazine.com www.alexgreenbooks.com IG + BLUESKY: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com

"Black Butterflies" The Vancouver-raised Rebecca Foon grew up with parents who were artists and activists, so it's no surprise that she became an artist and an activist herself. Let's start with the artist part. The Juno-award winning cellist, singer and composer Rebecca Foon has been in so many bands it's hard to keep track, so this is a partial list. No stranger to the post-rock and experimental world, Foon has been in Set Fire To Flames, Fifths Of Seven, A Silver Mt. Zion and the Gorecki Symphony Of Sorrow with Colin Stetson. She's also recorded under the Saltland moniker and she's the co-founder of the modern chamber ensemble Esmerine, whose 2013 Dalmak record won them a Juno. Under her own name Foon put out Waxing Moon in 2020 and the follow-up is the rather stunning new album Black Butterflies. Filled with sonorous vocals, inventive percussion and wondrous, sneaky rhythms, the reflective trip-hop groove of Black Butterflies summons the work of everyone from Massive Attack to Portishead. Redolent with rhythmic precision, musical dexterity and the kind of sonic architecture that builds worlds in the sky, Black Butterflies is a dose of real magic. Foon has collaborated with a list of luminaries like Laurie Anderson, Grant Hart, Nick Cave, British Sea Power, and Patrick Watson. As an activist and environmentalist, she's a member of the sustainability and climate change consulting cooperative Sustainability Solutions Group. A creative force powered by grace, Rebecca Foon is a real treasure. www.rebeccafoon.com www.bombshellradio.com www.stereoembersmagazine.com (http://www.stereoembersmagazine.com) www.alexgreenbooks.com Stereo Embers: IG + BLUESKY: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com

A facility with 105 synchronized fans pushing hurricane-class wind across a full-size house while a live fire... This is not science fiction - this is a real research capacity that helps us re-shape our knowledge on the full scale building ignition, fire spread, and failure. That's the stage at IBHS, where we dig into how wind-driven fire behave differently to small-scale and how tiny choices around a building can decide its fate. Together with my guest - dr Faraz Hedayati, we go from embers generation and fire spread studies, to urban conflagration research.We start with embers, the quiet culprits behind so many structure losses in the WUI. Embers aren't a single threat but a spectrum of sizes, temperatures, and lifetimes that ride shifting eddies and stall in stagnation zones. We talk through what full-scale tests reveal: glowing ember lines at the base of walls, roof reattachment zones where deposits spike, and the hard truth that counting particles matters less than controlling where they land. The guidance is clear and actionable—noncombustible vertical clearance, hardened vents, defensible space within the first five feet—because under wind, any component can become the first domino.Then we tackle conflagration: how a spot fire becomes a neighborhood problem. IBHS's shed-to-structure and fully furnished burns show exposure arriving in pulses, not a smooth curve. Collapse chokes flames and then reinvigorates them, creating multiple peaks where materials succeed or fail on a timer. We compare 30 mph to 60 mph winds and see how plumes lose buoyancy, flatten into the target, soften vinyl frames, and push glazing inward. Separation distance emerges as a decisive lever: around 10 feet, continuous flame contact dominates; at 20 feet and beyond, exposure becomes intermittent and materials can win—unless “connected fuels” like vehicles, fences, and decks bridge the gap.The takeaway isn't a silver bullet. It's a layered defense: control embers, clean the near-wall zone, harden openings, choose noncombustible claddings, and increase spacing where possible. Small-scale testing and modeling still matter, but wind-driven fire demands validation at full scale to catch the peaks, the collapses, and the failure modes no bench setup can mimic. If you care about wildfire resilience, urban design, or building safety, this conversation offers a rare, data-rich look at how communities ignite—and how we can change the odds.Learn more about IBHS research at https://ibhs.org/risk-research/wildfire/Cover picture courtesy of dr Faraz Hedayati.----The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.

Keep the narrative flow going! Subscribe to skip ads, get bonus content, and enjoy access to the entire catalog of 500 episodes. Robert McNamara may have been the most consequential secretary of defense in U.S. history. The managerial genius who helped sink the country in the Vietnam quagmire is the subject of a new biography (see below), a political-psychological portrait that takes us inside the mind of the man tabbed by JFK in 1960 to run the Pentagon. Robert McNamara escalated the war and misled the American people about imaginary progress on the battlefield, despite serious personal doubts the war could be won. He never formally apologized, but admitted "we were wrong, terribly wrong" in the hope future policy-makers would avoid his intractable mistakes. Historian Fredrik Logevall is our guest. Recommended reading: McNamara at War: A New History by William Taubman and Philip Taubman (2025) Choosing War: The Lost Chance for Peace and the Escalation of War in Vietnam by Fredrik Logevall (1999) Embers of War: The Fall of an Empire and the Making of America's Vietnam by Fredrik Logevall (2012) Further listening: Defeat in Vietnam: Origins (podcast)

In this week's episode, we take a look at six software tools for indie authors to help them write and improve their workflow. This coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Cloak of Blades, Book #4 in the Cloak Mage series, (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy) at my Payhip store: BLADES2025 The coupon code is valid through December 15, 2025. So if you need a new audiobook this winter, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT [This episode's content is not sponsored. Jonathan has not received any compensation for these reviews and has not received any free products or services from the companies mentioned in this episode. He does not currently use affiliate links for the products mentioned.] 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 280 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is a very snowy December 5th, 2025, and today I'm discussing six software tools that are useful for indie authors. Before we get into that, we will have Coupon of the Week and then an update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. So first up, Coupon of the Week. This week's coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Cloak of Blades, Book #4 in the Cloak Mage series (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy), at my Payhip store. And that is BLADES2025. And as always, the coupon code and the link to my Payhip store will be available in the show notes for this episode. This coupon code will be valid through December the 15th, 2025. So if you need a new audiobook for this winter or for your Christmas travels, we have got you covered. And now for an update on my current writing and publishing projects. As I mentioned last week, Blade of Shadows is out and it's available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Apple Books, Smashwords, and my Payhip store, and it's been doing quite well and gotten a good response from everyone. So thank you for that and I am looking forward to continuing that series. Now that Blade of Shadows is done, my main project is the fifth book in the Half-Elven Thief series, which is Wizard-Assassin. I had originally planned to name it Elven-Assassin, but decided Wizard-Assassin sounded a bit punchier, so I went with that instead. I am 46,000 words into it, which puts me on chapter 10 of 16. The final draft will have more chapters because one of the chapters is 11,000 words. I'm going to have to cut it up. I've also noticed that readers in general these days seem to prefer shorter chapters, so I've been trying to lean more into doing that and having books with shorter chapters. I think the rough draft is going to be about 70 to 75,000 words, give or take. So I'm hoping I can finish that next week, and I am cautiously optimistic I can have the book published before Christmas. If I can't get it published before Christmas, it is going to slip to my first book of 2026. But at the moment, and of course, barring our old unwelcome friend unexpected developments, I am cautiously optimistic I can have it out by Christmas 2025. So watch my website and listen to this space for additional news. My secondary project is Blade of Storms, which will be the third book in the Blades of Ruin series and the direct sequel to Blade of Shadows. I am about 6,000 words into that, and once Wizard-Assassin is done, that will be my main project. I'm hoping to have that out at the end of January, but if Wizard-Assassin slips to January, then Blade of Storms will [of necessity] slip to February. In audiobook news, Blade of Flames, the audiobook of the first book in the Blades of Ruin series, is now out and you can get that at Audible, Amazon, Apple, Kobo, Google Play, my own Payhip store, Spotify, and all the other usual audiobook stores. So if you're looking for something else to listen to during your Christmas travels this year, I suggest checking out Blade of Flames (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills). Cloak of the Embers, the 10th book in the Cloak Mage series (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy)…the recording of that is done and it is being proofed right now, so I am hopeful we can hopefully have that out before Christmas (if all goes well). In fact, after I record this podcast episode, I'm going to have to convert the ebook cover of Cloak of Embers into an audiobook cover for Cloak of Embers. So that is where I'm at with my current writing and publishing projects. There is definitely a lot going on. 00:03:40 Main Topic: 6 Helpful Writing Tools for Indie Authors in 2025 [All Prices referenced are USD.] Now we're going to move on to our main topic this week, which is six helpful writing tools for indie authors in 2025. Last year in 2024, I did a roundup of popular software tools for writers and I thought I would give a quick update for it. Some of these tools like Calibre and LibreOffice I use, while others like Scrivener and Notion just aren't great fit for my workflow, I still want to talk about them anyways since just because I don't use them doesn't mean that they're not good and a lot of writers do in fact use them. Many writers also have complex systems for organizing their files and would benefit from tools like that. Without further ado, here are six pieces of software used for writing and writing adjacent tasks. I should mention before we get going as well that none of these tools are explicitly generative AI tools because as you know, if you've listened to the podcast over the years is my opinion of generative AI remains mostly negative. I have and continue to do some marketing experiments with generative AI elements, but I remain overall unimpressed by the technology. So with that in mind, none of these software tools I'm going to mention are explicitly AI tools. Some of them do have AI elements that you can plug in and use if you want to, but they aren't part of the core functionality of the application unless you specifically seek it out. With that in mind, let's get to it. #1: The first one we will talk about is Scrivener. Scrivener is of course essentially a word processor and project management system specifically designed for creative or nonfiction writing, unlike a traditional word processor like Microsoft Word, LibreOffice Writer, or Apple Pages. It features tools for outlining, for breaking documents into chapters, tracking word count goals and et cetera. One of the major benefits of it is a one-time cost instead of as a subscription because it seems like everything is a subscription nowadays, but Scrivener is still $60 a pop. They also offer a free trial and student discount and occasionally [it will] go on sale during peak times like the holidays. The downside of this is that Scrivener has a sharp learning curve. For myself when I write, I write either in Microsoft Word or Libre Office and I just sit down and write. When I write an outline, it's one Word document and the rough draft is another document that I write until I'm done. Scrivener is definitely a more complex software application, which I have to admit is funny to say because Microsoft Word is ridiculously complicated and has, in my opinion, far more functionality stuffed into it than it really needs. But Scrivener is a different kind of functionality and therefore the learning curve could be quite high for that. Additionally, this may not be the right software tool to work with your style of writing or how you organize your files. A couple extra thoughts with that is it's important to know yourself. Will you actually use the extra features included with Scrivener or do they just look cool and shiny? Scrivener probably is best for those who take extensive notes on their work, especially if trying to organize research based on chapters where it's needed. So if you're a nonfiction writer or if you're a historical fiction writer or a thriller writer who is very concerned about accuracy in your books, this may be useful for you so you can put in notes about the proper way to address a duke in 19th century England or what caliber of ammunition your thriller hero's preferred firearm takes. It's maybe the best for the kind of people who enjoy curating their Notion and Trello accounts and are able to think about their book in a very visual way without letting that process be an excuse to keep them from writing. I'd also say it's good for people who extensively revise blocks of text within a chapter and move chapters around a lot. #2: Canva. Canva has been around for a long time and it is a platform that makes it easy to create visual content using a drag and drop interface that provides a variety of templates, fonts, and designs to use for things like social media posts. They currently have two tiers for individuals, a limited free option, and Canva Pro, which is $12.99 a month. Some of the pros for Canva are it is well-suited for using templates for writers to create images for social media posts and book marketing material. The learning curve is not very steep, especially compared with something like Photoshop. If you've used PowerPoint before, you can definitely handle Canva. The cons: although some people use it to create book covers, many books have been flagged by Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) and some of the other publishing platforms for doing so. I would advise you to avoid Canva for creating book covers because of the potential for issues that could keep your book out of ebook stores. At the very least, read Canva's terms of use and the rules of KDP and the other ebook publishers very, very carefully before you would even begin to consider using Canva for this purpose. Many of the free features have been folded into the pro version such as sharing template links. The editing and design features are basic compared to something like Photoshop, though that may change as we're going to discuss a little bit here. Because Canva is so popular, there's a certain amount of snobbery out there about using its designs without significant modification. You may have encountered on social media or the Internet people who react very negatively to the presence of AI generated images and this exists to a lesser extent with Canva templates. "Looks like it was made in Canva" is sometimes used as an insult. If you want a unique style and look for your images, you'll have to work a little more to achieve that using Canva. Canva is quick for great one-time things like Facebook or BookBub ads, but I wouldn't recommend using it for book creation or book covers at this time because of the potential problems that can arise from that. For myself, I don't usually use Canva. I've had enough practice with Photoshop that I'm pretty confident in making whatever I want in terms of ad images or book covers in Photoshop, and I use Photoshop for that. However, since I organized the notes for this episode, there is a major caveat to that. Recently, Canva acquired a program called Affinity Photo Editor, which is essentially a much lower cost alternative to Photoshop. When this happened, there was a great deal of negativity around it because people thought Canva was going to jack up the price or make it into an overpriced subscription. But what Canva did surprised a great many people in that they made Affinity totally free and essentially are using a freemium model with it where you can use Affinity Photo Editor for free. It used to be, I believe like $79, possibly $69, and then any of the other features like downloading additional content from Canva would cost part of your Canva subscription. So I have to admit, I'm sufficiently curious about this, that when I write the tie in short story for Wizard-Assassin, I may use Affinity Photo Editor to assemble the cover for it just to see if it would work for that or not, because as I've said, I use Photoshop, but Photoshop is very expensive, Adobe frequently does business practices that are a bit shifty, and the idea of a freemium alternative to Photoshop is not necessarily a bad idea. So when I write a tie in short story for Wizard-Assassin later this month, I think I will attempt to make the cover in Affinity Photo Editor and see if that is something that would be good for my workflow or not, and I will report on that later. #3: Number three is Notion, which can be used to organize information, links, calendars, and reminders into one central dashboard. They have two plans for individuals, a free plan and a Plus plan, which is currently $10 to $12 per month (depending on whether you want a monthly or an annual plan). The Plus version offers unlimited file uploads, greater customizations, and integrations with Slack and Google Drive. The pros for using Notion is that it is popular with writers and content creators for being able to have project planning tools, notes, lists, links, trackers, and reminders all in one dashboard. If you enjoy customization and getting something set up exactly the way you want, you might enjoy setting up your lists, calendars, trackers, and notes through Notion. You can add images and adjust the layout and colors for a more "aesthetic" experience. It is easy to find customized templates [online], especially for writers and for things like storyboarding, word counts, and keeping tracks of sources for nonfiction writing. These Notion templates are shared by individuals, not the company and can be free or paid. Now, some of the cons with Notion. It didn't used to use very much AI, but the company is leaning increasingly heavy into AI, both as a company and in its features on the boards, if that is a concern. The amount of customization options and detail can be absolutely overwhelming. Someone who gets decision fatigue easily or doesn't want to customize a lot and might not enjoy using it. Some people are increasingly complaining that the software is getting too overloaded with features and is slow. For people who value being organized and love having complex and highly visual systems, Notion might be helpful. The downside is that maintaining your Notion boards can easily turn into what I call a "writing-adjacent activity" that gives you the illusion of productivity because of the time you spend managing and updating it aside from the business of getting actual writing done. So once again, this is a good example of "know thyself." If this is something that would be helpful for you, go ahead and pursue it. But if it's something that could turn into a tool for procrastination, it's probably better to avoid it. For myself, I am old enough that when I need to make lists and keep track of things, I have a yellow legal pad on my desk that I write things down on. #4: The next piece of software we're going to look at is LibreOffice. It is an open source piece of software that closely matches Microsoft Office, including Microsoft Word. Pros: It's free and open source. There's a minimal learning curve for those already familiar with Microsoft Word. The interface is a little different, but it's pretty easy to figure things out if you're familiar with Word or Excel. Some swear that that LibreOffice is faster than Word. It depends on the kind of document you're working on and the kind of computer you're using. So that's an area where your mileage may vary. It is also the best word processing option for privacy advocates, especially for those who are concerned about Microsoft and Google storing their work and possibly harvesting it for AI because by default, LibreOffice doesn't work with any AI elements. If you want it to work with any AI elements, plugins are available but they are not included. It's great for the writer who doesn't want to support Microsoft for any reason but still wants to be able to easily save documents in Microsoft file formats like .docx. It works. I've written entire books using it. I wrote all of Soul of Serpents and Soul of Dragons in it, and that was 13 years ago now, and the software has only improved since then. I wrote Silent Order: Eclipse Hand [using it] in 2017 and was very happy with the results, and I still use it for various projects every week, and I found a couple times if something was screwed up in the formatting of Microsoft Word, if I opened it up in LibreOffice, I could fix it pretty easily and much easier than I could in Word. It does have a few cons. The user interface compared to Word or something like Apple Pages does look a bit dated, but it's still navigable. It doesn't have any cloud storage functionality. You would need to piece it together with another storage option if you want to be able to backup stuff to the cloud. But overall, if you can't afford the Microsoft Office Suite, don't want to support Microsoft, and value your privacy, this is your best bet for word processing. Some people may not like its interface, but it's still an extremely solid piece of free software. #5: And now let's move on to our fifth software tool, which is Calibre. Calibre is a tool for ebook management. It can be used for file formatting, changing your books' metadata, or changing file formats. Many use it to create a custom ebook library. Pros include: the product is free and open source. It is easy to generate different file formats for book publication. Do you want to categorize and organize your books in a very specific way? Calibre works for that. The cons: some people find the interface a little clunky and it comes with a bit of a learning curve. To be honest, the interface does look like it came from Windows 2000 and some of the features rely on knowledge of HTML and CSS. Editing and formatting of the book itself is better done using other software. Final thoughts on that? The software is trustworthy, reliable, and has been maintained over the years. It does exactly what it says it does, without any real style but plenty of substance. And I've been a regular Calibre user for like 15 years now, and whenever I get a new computer Calibre is usually one of the very first things I install on it. #6: And now for our sixth and final tool, Inkarnate. Inkarnate is a very useful piece of software that is designed for creating maps. I believe it was originally intended to create maps for role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons and Pathfinder and so forth. But it's also very useful for creating maps for fantasy novels. As I may have mentioned on the podcast a few times before, I really don't like making maps. I find it constraining and it makes the writing feel a bit crabbed at times. That said, I write primarily in the fantasy genre and people in the fantasy genre love maps, so I'm kind of on the hook for making maps. I used to draw the maps by hand and then import it into Photoshop and add all the locations and add colors and so forth. But that is a lot of work, I have to admit. Inkarnate makes it a lot easier, and I've used it for the last couple of maps I've made. The map of the city of Tar-Carmatheion in the Half-Elven Thief books came from Inkarnate. The map of Owyllain for Blades of Ruin came from Inkarnate, and the map of New Kyre and adjoining regions for Ghost Armor also came from Inkarnate. It's very affordable too. The subscription, I believe, is only $30 a year, and I've been using for a few years now and have never regretted it. So I'd say all the pros are all the ones I've already listed. The cons are that the learning curve is a little bit sharp, but there are excellent YouTube videos and tutorials for that. So, final thoughts. If you find yourself needing to make maps and don't enjoy the process of making maps, then Inkarnate is the software product for you. So those are six tools, software tools for indie authors that I hope will make you more productive and make your work easier. So that is it for this week. Thank you for listening to the Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the backup episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave your review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and see you all next week.  

"The Things You Don't Know Yet" I seem to care more about the band Adult Leisure than my own adult leisure and there's a good reason for that. The Bristol outfit Adult Leisure are one of the most exciting indie pop bands around. Formed in 2020, Adult Leisure have put out a succession of catchy singles and EPs like The Weekend Ritual which have all led up to the release of their debut album, The Things You Don't Know Yet. Filled with infectious hooks, inventive arrangements and a singer in Neil Scott whose delivery is a mix of lippy confidence and pure pop grace, Adult Leisure are poised to be huge. They've got the songs, they've got the attitude and they've got the ambition. But they're also down to earth--in fact, Neil, who's a really nice guy, just got off work when this conversation took place. And he talks about the balance between civilian life and potential stardom with both wisdom and perspective. https://www.instagram.com/adultleisureband www.bombshellradio.com (http://www.bombshellradio.com) www.stereoembersmagazine.com (http://www.stereoembersmagazine.com) www.alexgreenbooks.com (http://www.alexgreenbooks.com) Stereo Embers The Podcast IG + BLUESKY: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com (mailto:editor@stereoembersmagazine.com)

"Love Rollercoaster" To say the Ohio Players are one of the greatest funk bands of all time kind of falls short of the mark. The Ohio Players are, quite simply, one of the greatest bands of all time. The Dayton R&B outfit got their start in 1959 as the Ohio Untouchables and their leader Robert Ward was like a funk version of Jim Morrison--brilliant but unpredictable, Ward would walk offstage mid-gig and never come back. He was punk long before there was punk and he was a wild card for sure, but charisma can carry you pretty far in art. But, to be fair, it can't always carry you over the line and the Untouchables started swapping out personnel, Ward included, and they rebranded in the late '60s as the Ohio Players. A false start found them skidding to a halt in 1970, but then, things started to gel. A furious blend of funk and soul, The Ohio Players started racking up hits like Love Rollercoaster, Fire and Who'd She Coo? Albums like Skin Tight, Honey and Contradiction remain indisputable classics and the band is still at it, currently in the studio cooking something up. As for James Diamond Williams, he joined the band around '74 and he quickly asserted himself as one of the very best behind the kit. A muscular player with swagger and swing, Williams is one of those guys who makes it look easy--and if someone is great enough to make something difficult look easy, you can be assured it isn't. www.theofficialohioplayers.com www.bombshellradio.com www.stereoembersmagazine.com www.alexgreenbooks.com Stereo Embers: IG + BLUESKY: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com

01. Grue & Moonlight Tunes – Это Прекрасное Утро (Extended Mix) [AZIMA RECORDS] 02. Citadelle & Agdem – Contact (Extended Mix) [STMPD RCRDS] 03. Beatsole – Velvet Fall (Extended Mix) [NOMADS MUSIC] 04. Rezident feat. Ekko – Only For A Moment (Extended Mix) [ANJUNADEEP] 05. Argy & John Cala – Boom (Original Mix) [UNKNOWN] 06. ItsArius, Lynnic & Ari – Space & Time (Extended Mix) [UNKNOWN] 07. Argy, Eli Dani, Peki Ofc & Sher – Chasing Highs (Extended Mix) [UNKNOWN] 08. Genesi, Rivo & Aya Anne – Karma (Extended Mix) [UNKNOWN] 09. Embers of Hope & Cris Von X – Still The One (Extended Mix) [RNM] 10. Dennis Sheperd, Simon Leon & Katty Heath – Strange Love (Extended Mix) [A TRIBUTE TO LIFE] 11. Chris Avantgarde & Eddie Thoneick feat. Kisch – The Other Side (Extended Mix) [UNKNOWN] 12. NyTiGen – In My Head (Extended Mix) [2ROCK RECORDINGS] 13. U-Jeen & Monolegato – This Night Is Yours (Extended Mix) [INTERPLAY RECORDS] 14. Alexander Popov & Vassel – External (Alexander Popov Extended Mix) [INTERPLAY RECORDS] 15. Evoxel & Ovadia – Bakari (Extended Mix) [UNKNOWN] 16. Aminto & Kadett – Tell Me (Extended Mix) [AMINTO MUSIC] 17. FEEL – Now We Are Free (Gladiator) (Intro Mix) [UNKNOWN] 18. 4 Strings & Susanne Teutenberg – Let It Rain (Costa Extended Mix) [RNM] 19. Anton By – Kalyhanka (Extended Mix) [INTERPLAY RECORDS] 20. Evgeny Kruglov – Space World (Extended Mix) [SYNCHRONIZED PROGRESSIVE] 21. In Progress & Artyom Aery – Alive (Aimoon Remix) [SUANDA GOLD CLASSICS] 22. Ben van Gosh – Oh My Gosh (Extended Mix) [MOLEKULAR SOUNDS] 23. Alexander Popov & Matrick – Enter Reality (Extended Mix) [INTERPLAY RECORDS] 24. Evebe feat. Danny Claire – Everything (Timo Pralle Remix) [ABORA RECORDINGS] 25. Hypersia, May-Britt, Aviell & Alternoize DJ – Moonlight Drive (Extended Mix) [AMSTERDAM TRANCE RECORDS] 26. Elite Electronic & Eternal Flame – Parade of Stars (Extended Mix) [TRANCEMISSION] 27. Stargazers & Elara – Skies Above (Extended Mix) [AMSTERDAM TRANCE RECORDS] 28. Vikram Prabhu – So Near Yet So Far (Extended Mix) [TRANCEMISSION] 29. Victor Tayne & Tycoos – Broken Love (Extended Mix) [2ROCK RECORDINGS] 30. Somnia & Ruslan Radriges – High In Your Low (Extended Mix) [2ROCK RECORDINGS] 31. Roman Messer, Anton Pallmer & Jennifer Rene – When I Hear Your Voice (Extended Mix) [SUANDA MUSIC]

Welcome to a surprise tasting event. Today I'll be joined by Greg King of Proof, who is going to introduce us to the 2025 lineup of Diageo Special Releases. In this episode we'll dive into the history of this series and Greg and I will taste the new Oban and Lagavulin releases and I'll toss in a couple wildcards as well. We'll talk a little about the distilleries and flavor characteristics. There are some nice surprises in this pack that includes: ● Lagavulin 12 Year Old 'Grain & Embers' ● Oban 12 Year Old 'Heart of the Harbour' ● The Singleton of Glen Ord 17 Year Old 'Into the Blue'  ● Talisker 14 Year Old 'Molten Seas'  ● Dailuaine 21 Year Old 'Marbled Treasures' ● Roseisle 14 Year Old 'Harmonic Grace'  ● Clynelish 18 Year Old 'Waxen Sun'  ● Teaninich 8 Year Old 'Daring Rye'  ‼️ DISCLOSURE ‼️ Whiskies supplied by Proof for this tasting. Opinions are my own. for this tasting. Opinions are my own.

"Forever Shining" In 1976 brothers Tony and Chip Kinman founded the legendary Carlsbad punk band The Dills, who in just four short years crammed their music CV with highlights. Before they disbanded in 1980, The Dils had recorded classics like "Class War" and Mr. Big" opened for the Clash and appeared in Cheech and Chong's Up In Smoke. The Kinmans went on to form Rank and File, who are considered by many to be one of the first cowpunk bands around. Rank and FIle's rootsy stomp and melodic muscle powered them through three perfect albums--Sundown, Long Gone Dead and their self-titled 19897 swansong. The Kinmans had an uncanny ability to read the cultural room before anyone else--they were hardcore before it hit the suburbs and they were cowpunk before it was cool and with their next band Blackbird, they were techno metal before Korn and Linkin Park shirts at Hot Topic. The Kinmans went on to play in bands like Cowboy Nation and Ford Madox Ford and sadly, Tony Kinman died in 2018. Which brings us to KInman's self-titled Kinman's new album. A stirring song cycle filled with acoustic numbers, Tex-Mex techno, the undulating rhythms and "Me And Tony" a streetwise tribute to a life in music with his brother, Kinman's new record sounds like nobody else. It's filled with unexpected sonic flourishes, heartfelt emotional ruminations, great storytelling and devastating beauty. It's bold and brilliant work. https://intheredrecords.com/collections/chip-kinman/products/chip-kinman-s-t-lp www.bombshellradio.com (http://www.bombshellradio.com) www.stereoembersmagazine.com (http://www.stereoembersmagazine.com) www.alexgreenbooks.com (http://www.alexgreenbooks.com) IG + BLUESKY: @emberspodcast EMAIL: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com (mailto:editor@stereoembersmagazine.com)

We and our guest writer Nate Ming discuss Shonen Jump manga Embers.   MAL Description: Middle school brawler Noboru Haitani has never lost a fight. But the bitter taste of a soccer defeat gradually warms him up to the sport, until one day Haitani finds himself in a match against a team featuring middle school soccer prodigy Takami. An outlaw fights his way into the world of soccer!   Show Notes: • You can reach us at Twitter @shonenflopcast, Tumblr shonen-flop, or email shonenflop@gmail.com   • You can find our guest at bsky.app/profile/nateming.bsky.social   • Become a member of our community by joining our Discord. You can hang out with us, submit your questions or six word summaries! Find it at https://discord.com/invite/4hC3SqRw8r   • Want to be a guest? You can ask to be on a future episode at bit.ly/shonen_flop_guest   Credits: • Manga by Nishii, Soutarou (Art), Kurumazaki, Kei (Story)   • Shonen Flop is hosted by David Weinberger and Jordan Forbes   • Additional editing assistance by Dylan Krider you can find his podcast, Anime Out of Context at animeoutofcontext.com   • Assistance with pronunciation, translation, and other miscellaneous research done by Tucker Whatley and MaxyBee   • Episode art by Merliel (IG: mer_liel)   • Cover art funded by our generous art benefactor Nigel Francis

. Reliquaries, Status Seeking, and Rune Amulets Against Dwarves Eleanor Barraclough Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age The discussion moves to reliquaries, originally used in a Christian context, such as at Lindisfarne, to house saints' relics. Norse raiders prized the metal and decoration, discarded the relics, and brought them back to Norway, often gifting them to women. These items were passed down through female generations or repurposed as brooches, suggesting that early raids were often masculine activities focused on acquiring wealth and status necessary for young men to secure a wife and establish a home. Pre-Christian belief systems involved protective runes and amulets against malevolence caused by supernatural beings such as elves or dwarves. A human skull fragment from Geber, Denmark, dating to the early eighth century, was carved with runes, possibly intended to guard against sickness caused by dwarves. 1919

6. Kerið Cave: Offerings to the Fire Giant in Iceland's Liminal Space Eleanor Barraclough Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age A recent discovery in Iceland is Kerið cave, a lava tube associated with the fire giant Surtr, formed by a volcanic eruption around 900 AD. Deep inside, archaeologists found a massive built wall, unburned animal bones, and stones arranged in the outline of a boat. Within the boat, offerings related to fire—ornaments, jasper, and burned bones—were left, likely intended to placate the fire being dwelling further within, possibly responsible for the volcanic activity. This site represents a liminal space, a meeting point between the physical world and the mythological worlds of fire and ice. After Iceland's official Christian conversion around 1000 AD, a metal cross was left as the final offering, seemingly closing off the pagan practice

5. Creation, Ragnarok, and the Cautionary Tale of Post-Conversion Norse Mythology Eleanor Barraclough Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age Accessing Norse belief systems requires caution because the main textual sources, such as the Prose and Poetic Eddas, were written in the thirteenth century in Iceland, after the conversion to Christianity. Snorri Sturluson, a poet and politician murdered in thirteenth-century Iceland, composed the Prose Edda as a handbook to preserve the myths. Norse creation mythology describes life beginning in Ginungagap, the eternal void where the fire world (Muspel) met the ice world (Niflheim), forming the primordial ice giant Ymir. The mythological destruction, Ragnarok (the doom of the gods), involves the fire giant Surtr and Loki arriving on Naglfar, a ship terrifyingly constructed from the fingernails of dead people. 1920

7. Defining the End: 1066, Harold Hardrada, and the Battle of Largs Eleanor Barraclough Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age The ending of the Viking Age is explored through political shifts. The year 1066 AD is conventionally used as the endpoint, marking the death of Harold Hardrada, King of Norway, at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. Hardrada, a larger-than-life figure who had served the Byzantine emperor, based his English claim on Cnut's North Sea Empire. William of Normandy, who triumphed shortly thereafter, was of culturally assimilated Norse descent—Norman means Northmen. However, 1066 is Anglocentric. A later marker is the 1263 Battle of Largs, where conflict between King Hákon of Norway and King Alexander III of Scotland over the Western Isles ended with Hákon's death. This effectively ended Norway's political control in the region, although Norse culture persisted. 1920 John Carter on Mars

3. Kievan Rus Assimilation and the Unsolved Mystery of the Salme Ships Eleanor Barraclough Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age In the east, Rurik and his company founded what became Kievan Rus, shifting their power base south from Novgorod (862) to Kiev. Although people of Norse heritage controlled the area initially, they were a minority who mastered cultural assimilation with Slavic groups. Norse names like Ingvar and Helga became Slavicized as Igor and Olga, demonstrating extensive cultural mixing. The text also covers the mystery of the Salme ships in Estonia, recently discovered. These two ship burials, dated around 750 AD and predating Lindisfarne, contained the remains of dozens of high-status individuals from Sweden who died violently, likely on a diplomatic mission. One leader was buried with the king piece of the popular board game Hnefatafl placed in his mouth—an intentional act of storytelling.

2. From Raiders to Rulers: The Danelaw and the Eastern Expansion of the Norse Eleanor Barraclough Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age The discussion highlights the transformation of Vikings from raiders—who famously plundered Paris for 7,000 pounds of gold—to military conquerors. The Great Heathen Army arrived in England around 865, conquering East Anglia, Northumbria, and Mercia. The subsequent stalemate led to an agreement between King Alfred and the Norse leader Guthrum toward the end of the ninth century. This accord established the Danelaw, granting the Norse political and legal control over vast swathes of England, evidenced today by Old Norse influences in place names. The Norse cultural sphere was enormous, characterized by a diaspora that spread east and west. People from what is now Sweden moved down Eurasian waterways, becoming known as the Varangians, or Russ (rowers), and settled Novgorod in 862.

1. Everyday Objects and the Shocking Start of the Viking Age Eleanor Barraclough Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age The book uses everyday objects to explore the real lives of the people known as Vikings. For example, a runic message carved on wood from Norway around 1200 AD shows a woman named Gia telling her inebriated husband, who is in a tavern, to come home. Runes were spiky letters often carved into hard surfaces like wood or bone, possibly originating during the Roman Empire. The book's title is a kenning, an Old Norse poetic device in which "Embers of the Hands" originally meant gold but here refers to precious, personal objects. The Viking Age is generally dated from 750 to 1100 AD, with a defining start marked by the shocking raid on the wealthy monastery at Lindisfarne in 793 AD.

8. Greenland's Final Days: The Mystery of Herjolfsnes and the Fifteenth-Century End Eleanor Barraclough Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age The final chapter focuses on the end of Norse settlement in Greenland, begun by Eric the Red around 985 AD. Herjolfsnes, one of the last settlements, preserved the clothes and bodies of the final generations in its graveyard, dating into the early fifteenth century. The garments were patched, coarse woolen pieces reflecting the declining status and isolation caused partly by climate change. One woman's dress tore when she was buried—a poignant detail. The Norse interacted with the Inuit, who may have carved figures depicting Norse dress. The final reports include a man burned for seducing a married woman through witchcraft in 1407 and a wedding in 1408. The ultimate fate of the last few inhabitants remains an unsolved mystery. 1949