Podcasts about Embers

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.

Especial de Natal - Parte 1, DJ MTS, Raffaele Ciavolino - Need You Tonite, Mark Knight, Saliva Commandos - Don Dadda, Mark Knight, Dario Nunez - Route 143, Marviic - Vamos A Jugar, Raf Marchesini x Karim Razak Feat. Dafi - Paraiso, Push vs Groove Armada - I See You Baby (Housequake Bootleg), Alejandro Garrido - Magalenha, Agent Greg x The Deepshakerz - Under Your Skin (Tektonauts Remix), Mickael Espinosa, Drezlo, Jaxiel RD - El Flakito, DJ Fabrício Lopes, Calvin Harris, Clementine Douglas - Blessings (Hugel, Trigger & Casa Mata Remix), Hugel & Solto - Jamaican (Bam Bam), Jonas Blue & Malive - Edge of Desire, Joris Voorn & Goodboys - Utopia, MK & Clementine Douglas - Come Find Me, MK feat Chrystal - Dior, Raye, David Guetta & Hypaton - Where is My Husband!, Alesso & Sacha - Destiny, Afrojack, Martin Garrix, David Guetta & Amel - Our Time, David Guetta - After You, Joel Corry & Abi Flynn - Phases, David Guetta, Teddy Swims & Tones And I - Gone Gone Gone (MK Remix), Robin Schulz & Sigala feat Zoe Wees - AM to PM, Calvin Harris & Jessie Reyez - Ocean, Chrystal - The Days (Notion Remix), James Hype feat Sam Harper & Bobby Harvey - Waterfalls (Mairee Remix), DJ Levi Nicomedes, Embers of Hope, Cris â

Especial de Natal - Parte 1, DJ MTS, Raffaele Ciavolino - Need You Tonite, Mark Knight, Saliva Commandos - Don Dadda, Mark Knight, Dario Nunez - Route 143, Marviic - Vamos A Jugar, Raf Marchesini x Karim Razak Feat. Dafi - Paraiso, Push vs Groove Armada - I See You Baby (Housequake Bootleg), Alejandro Garrido - Magalenha, Agent Greg x The Deepshakerz - Under Your Skin (Tektonauts Remix), Mickael Espinosa, Drezlo, Jaxiel RD - El Flakito, DJ Fabrício Lopes, Calvin Harris, Clementine Douglas - Blessings (Hugel, Trigger & Casa Mata Remix), Hugel & Solto - Jamaican (Bam Bam), Jonas Blue & Malive - Edge of Desire, Joris Voorn & Goodboys - Utopia, MK & Clementine Douglas - Come Find Me, MK feat Chrystal - Dior, Raye, David Guetta & Hypaton - Where is My Husband!, Alesso & Sacha - Destiny, Afrojack, Martin Garrix, David Guetta & Amel - Our Time, David Guetta - After You, Joel Corry & Abi Flynn - Phases, David Guetta, Teddy Swims & Tones And I - Gone Gone Gone (MK Remix), Robin Schulz & Sigala feat Zoe Wees - AM to PM, Calvin Harris & Jessie Reyez - Ocean, Chrystal - The Days (Notion Remix), James Hype feat Sam Harper & Bobby Harvey - Waterfalls (Mairee Remix), DJ Levi Nicomedes, Embers of Hope, Cris â

“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

Tock and the gang look to take control of their destiny by overturning the traps laid out by Thoren in his Teletrap network. Dice Company: Small Embers is a cinematic Dungeons & Dragons actual play podcast that blends immersive storytelling, high production values, and emotional character drama. Join a cast of storytellers as they navigate political intrigue, ancient magic, and moral consequences in a world on the brink of collapse. Each episode follows the adventuring party through the dark and richly detailed continent of Aethelon; a place of broken empires, cursed relics, and gods long forgotten. Combining deep narrative roleplay with expert sound design and original scoring, Small Embers delivers the atmosphere of a prestige audio drama with the heart and spontaneity of D&D. Whether you love fantasy podcasts, D&D campaigns, or character-driven storytelling, Dice Company: Small Embers is the perfect mix of epic adventure and intimate human storytelling. Perfect for fans of Critical Role, Dungeons & Daddies, and The Adventure Zone.

This special crossover episode brings together espionage and crime fans for a fast-paced round-table on our Books of the Year 2025. Antonia Senior (Spymasters) is joined by: Paul Burke – host of Aspects of Crime Mark Ellis – bestselling author of the Frank Merlin series Thomas Waugh – author of Endgame Together we unpack the best in spy fiction, crime writing, historical thrillers and intelligence non-fiction—from World War II espionage and Cold War intrigue to the new era of China-focused spy thrillers. Books discussed include: The Darkest Winter by Carlo Lucarelli Appointment in Paris by Jane Thynne The Second Traitor by Alex Gerlis The Peak by Sam Guthrie Shadow of a Queen by Peter Tonkin The Predicament by William Boyd Smoke and Embers by John Lawton The Poet's Game by Paul Vidich Clown Town by Mick Herron The Revolutionists by Jason Burke Man of Bones by Ben Creed The Spy in the Archives by Gordon Corera Expect passionate debate, insider recommendations, Cold War gossip, a very loud puppy, and a surprising amount of Noel Coward. Perfect listening for fans of John le Carré, Mick Herron, Len Deighton, Helen Fry, and anyone hunting for genuinely brilliant new espionage reads.

"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)

Tock and the gang look to take control of their destiny by overturning the traps laid out by Thoren in his Teletrap network. Dice Company: Small Embers is a cinematic Dungeons & Dragons actual play podcast that blends immersive storytelling, high production values, and emotional character drama. Join a cast of storytellers as they navigate political intrigue, ancient magic, and moral consequences in a world on the brink of collapse. Each episode follows the adventuring party through the dark and richly detailed continent of Aethelon; a place of broken empires, cursed relics, and gods long forgotten. Combining deep narrative roleplay with expert sound design and original scoring, Small Embers delivers the atmosphere of a prestige audio drama with the heart and spontaneity of D&D. Whether you love fantasy podcasts, D&D campaigns, or character-driven storytelling, Dice Company: Small Embers is the perfect mix of epic adventure and intimate human storytelling. Perfect for fans of Critical Role, Dungeons & Daddies, and The Adventure Zone.

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)

J Master Pig discusses the BCH-1 Hackcelerator, BCH funding pipeline, BLAZE Ember trading on Cauldron & more. Please share your thoughts in the comments below and subscribe for more.Links:J Master Pig on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SatoshiSeasonsBCH-1 on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bch_1_officialEpisode slides: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1KBrqLKqIpDL2jdUvMm8imwHYFhMZpZEV/Donations:bitcoincash:zzju6e03m8qljsq4r6e8fufpkm3wws2h7y06jgzp9tSponsors:- Thank you very much to our FundMe.Cash contributors. New campaign is LIVE: https://fundme.cash/campaign/78- BCH BULL: https://bchbull.com Be the bull & leverage or hedge with Bitcoin Cash - Non-custodial, permissionless, fully collateralized DeFiSocials:Website: https://www.bitcoincashpodcast.comTimestamps:00:00 Video starts00:36 Intro and market update01:48 J Master Pig05:16 Merchants chose big blocks11:55 SLP, Spice Token, NFT marketplace17:11 NEAR protocol, Amica AI interface20:33 Coming back to BCH26:29 CashTokens as a successor to SLP35:12 1-minute blocks44:43 BCH-1 hackcelerator1:02:49 BCH-1 tracks1:09:32 BCH funding pipeline1:34:54 BCH growth1:41:10 Community comment of the week1:58:08 EMBER trading2:02:02 Epstein documents2:03:18 Dathon blinks already2:08:46 Meme of the week2:17:17 Message to the community2:24:09 Podcast supporter appreciation & shoutouts2:27:42 "The circle of exit liquidity" song

Deep beneath Misery, Thoren's Dungeon proves little challenge for a party embued with the power of a pseudo-God.  Dice Company: Small Embers is a cinematic Dungeons & Dragons actual play podcast that blends immersive storytelling, high production values, and emotional character drama. Join a cast of storytellers as they navigate political intrigue, ancient magic, and moral consequences in a world on the brink of collapse. Each episode follows the adventuring party through the dark and richly detailed continent of Aethelon; a place of broken empires, cursed relics, and gods long forgotten. Combining deep narrative roleplay with expert sound design and original scoring, Small Embers delivers the atmosphere of a prestige audio drama with the heart and spontaneity of D&D. Whether you love fantasy podcasts, D&D campaigns, or character-driven storytelling, Dice Company: Small Embers is the perfect mix of epic adventure and intimate human storytelling. Perfect for fans of Critical Role, Dungeons & Daddies, and The Adventure Zone.

In this Thanksgiving episode, I take a look at five things I am thankful for as an indie author. This coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in the Ghost Exile series at my Payhip store: EXILE2025 The coupon code is valid through December 8, 2025. So if you need a new ebook this winter, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 279 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is November 24th, 2025, and today I'm discussing five things I'm thankful for as an indie author for this Thanksgiving themed episode. As you might guess, I am recording this a little early to get ahead of the [United States] Thanksgiving holiday, but all the news and updates should still be current. We will start off with Coupon of the Week and then a progress update on my current writing and publishing projects. First up is Coupon of the Week and this week's coupon code will get you 25% off all the ebooks in the Ghost Exile series at my Payhip store. And that code is EXILE2025, and as always, the coupon code and the link to my store will be available in the show notes. This coupon code is valid through December 8, 2025, so if you need a new ebook this winter as we head into the Christmas season, we've got you covered. Now an update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. Blade of Shadows is done and it should be available on all the ebook stores: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Apple Books, Smashwords, and my own Payhip store. Initial reviews and reactions have been positive, so thank you all very much for that. My next main project is Wizard-Assassin, and that will be the fifth book in the Half-Elven Thief series. If my math is right, I think I'm about 25% of the way through the rough draft, and my goal is to get that out on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited before Christmas 2025, which will make (hopefully if all goes well) Wizard-Assassin the final book I publish in 2025. The first book I hopefully publish in 2026 will be Blade of Storms, the third book in the Blades of Ruin epic fantasy series, and the direct sequel to Blade of Shadows. I am about a thousand words into Blade of Storms, so just starting and hopefully that will be the first book I publish in 2026 (if all goes well). In audiobook news, Blade of Shadows…the status of that is pretty much the same as the last time I recorded three days ago. It's available at some of the audiobook stores but hasn't finished processing and gotten up on ACX yet. That was narrated by Brad Wills. We are approaching proof copies of the audiobook of Cloak of Embers, and that will be narrated by Hollis McCarthy. So that is where we are at with my current writing, publishing and audiobook projects. 00:02:24 Main Topic: 5 Things to Be Thankful For as an Indie Author So let's move on to our main topic in keeping with the Thanksgiving holiday, which is only a few days away as I record this and was only a few days past when this episode was live, and that is five things to be thankful for as an indie author because I do spend on the show a lot of time talking about the various challenges and difficulties of being an indie author, but there are a lot of things to be thankful for as well. So as I said before, the Thanksgiving holiday is coming up here in the United States and that day always leads [me] to reflect on what we have to be thankful for. And one of the things at the top of my list is my work as an indie author and publisher. Today I'm going to talk about five things that I can be thankful for as an indie author and that other indie authors may be thankful for as well. #1: Creative freedom. As I've talked about before on this podcast, the most immediate benefit to indie publishing is not having to make creative compromises in order to get published. For example, you can make a series the exact length that you want it to be, not what the market can support. You can write in whatever genre, style, and using the themes you want without any interference. As we all know, traditional publishing is pretty trend driven and they seek out books that match trends because they are very risk averse. There's a time about a decade and a half ago when publishers were outright telling authors not to submit books with goblins and orcs and other traditional fantasy creatures, for example. Instead of trying to change your book or writing style in order to get accepted by traditional publishing, indie publishing allows you to create and share the exact book that you want to and then it can rise and fall on its own merits and how well you market it. In fact, what has been traditionally called genre writing (such as categories [like] science fiction and fantasy and mystery and so forth) have flourished without the constraints of traditional publishing. The Internet and platforms like Amazon and the other ebook platforms as well have made it easy for readers to discover books that fit in their preferred genres and styles, not what publishers think they want to read. #2: Freedom from bad deals. The traditional publishing industry is not quite as exploitative as the music industry, but it is not through a lack of trying. Bad deals abound in traditional publishing because they're relying on the fact that new authors want to be published so badly that they're willing to compromise on things like royalty rates, exclusivity agreements, and control over rights. This mindset persists quite strongly even today where if you go on any of the social media platforms, you'll see writers desperately trying to get themselves an agent rather than doing what they should be doing, self-publishing and learning digital marketing. The amounts paid out in advances (which is the amount that publishers pay authors before a book is released) are decreasing and fewer and fewer books are earning out (which means that the author receives royalties beyond the initial advance). Romance writers are especially benefiting from indie publishing because one of the top publishers in that genre is known to make deals that don't favor the author such as low advances and royalty rates, and they don't allow for contract negotiations. Indie publishing gives you the ability to get published and get your book to readers without taking a bad deal from a publisher or worse yet, turning to scammers. And unfortunately, there are a lot of scammers out there. In indie publishing, where you publish is what determines how much you receive. Each platform has their own royalty setup and payment structures, and you'll get paid far more often (usually monthly, sometimes quarterly) and have the ability to review book sales in real time instead of waiting for quarterly statements (if that or sometimes biannual statements) from a publisher that feel like they're written in hieroglyphics. If you're publishing on a direct sales platform like Pay Hip or Shopify, you can get as much as 90% of each sale and you don't have to wait for a book to reach the mysterious point where it earns out in order to get that money because the money is immediately available to you, although usually after a period of 60 days or so. And if you are an indie author, you don't have to worry about your publisher canceling your active series because of sales that the publisher doesn't like, which is allowed in a standard traditional publishing contract. It's becoming increasingly common to have publishers do this even when the next book in the series is ready for publication or even scheduled for publication. Indie authors can always complete a series for their readers, (which I've been able to do with Stealth and Spells Online most recently, for example). #3: Write [and] release at your own pace. There are no, or at the very least, very, very, very few traditional publishers that would let me have the frequent release schedule I currently have. For example, Blade of Flames came out in September, and then Blade of Shadows is coming out right now in the gap of only two months. Publishing still thinks in terms of seasonal releases, especially the fall and spring release seasons. The schedules for these releases are created far, far in advance and don't change all that much. In self-publishing, there is no one bumping your release to another season or telling you that you can't put out a book because a similar book is coming out at the same time. If you want to put out a book monthly like the pulp writers of old, you are completely free to do that. I do that myself when possible because I'm hoping there's less about a month gap between Blade Shadows and Wizard Assassin. #4: Control over your online brand. Traditional publishers like their authors to have a strong social media presence and heavily favor authors with a large and preexisting follower account. They even give pre-written social posts to their authors or require pre-approval from their team before posting on social media. With indie publishing, you are completely free to exist online in the way that makes the most sense and is the healthiest for you, and no one is telling you what you can or you can post. You can post as much as you want or even forego certain media platforms altogether or as many of them as you want. For myself, I like to post about my hobbies like vintage video games, even though that's a not a high engagement topic that the algorithm favors. There is no one telling me what I can post or trying get me to increase my follower count as a condition of getting future contracts. #5: And for me personally, the fifth and final thing to be thankful for that we'll discuss on this episode is the ability to make a living and hire others. And obviously this is a big, big, big thing to be grateful for. I've been an indie author for 14 and a half years now, and a full-time one for over nine years, and I was able to hire people to help me two and a half years ago with many non-writing tasks such as Amazon Ads, podcast transcripts, bookkeeping, and so forth. I have also been able to hire narrators like Brad Wills, Hollis McCarthy, C.J. McCallister, and Leanne Woodward to produce my audiobooks since the majority of my audiobooks are self-funded by me. I don't have to rely on a team that a publisher that has been picked out for me, and I can choose my own team as an indie author, or I can do everything myself, which is what I really did for the first 11 years. Unlike a team that a traditional publisher that has been spread too thin across an increasing number of authors, the team I hire is focused on making the best ebook or audiobook we can, and we're all on the same page. The ability to make a living at my work and even hire others is because of all of you. I am very, very grateful for all of you who have read my books and listened to my audiobooks, and so thank you very much, and we hopefully we will have new things for you to read and listen to in the coming months and in 2026. In conclusion, there is a lot to be thankful for in the world of indie publishing. Although it is hard work, the benefits of being an indie author over a traditionally published one are significant, and I suspect they're only going to grow over time as the traditional publishing industry continues to consolidate into one or two few mega corporations. So for Thanksgiving 2025, I'm grateful for all of my readers who allow me to be an indie author, and thank you once again for all of your support. So that's 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 at https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave your review of your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and see you all next week.  

Jon, Judy, and Marlys review 3 amazing examples of Sherried Scotch.

INTERVIEW: La Coco on new EP 'Echoes & Embers' by Zac Hoffman on Radio One 91FM Dunedin

"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]

In this week's episode, I rate the movies and streaming shows I saw in Autumn 2025. This coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in The Ghosts series at my Payhip store: GHOSTS2025 The coupon code is valid through December 1, 2025. So if you need a new ebook this fall, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 278 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is November 21st, 2025, and today I am sharing my reviews of the movies and streaming shows I saw in Fall 2025. We also have a Coupon of the Week and an update my current writing, audiobook, and publishing projects. So let's start off with Coupon of the Week. This week's coupon code will get you 25% off all the ebooks in The Ghosts series at my Payhip store, and that is GHOSTS2025. And as always, we'll have the link to my Payhip store and the coupon code in the show notes for this episode. This coupon code is valid through December 1, 2025, so if you need a new ebook for this fall, we have got you covered. Now for my current writing and publishing projects: I'm very pleased to report that Blade of Shadows, the second book in my Blades of Ruin epic fantasy series, is now out. You can get it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Apple Books, Smashwords, and my Payhip store. By the time this episode goes live, all those stores should be available and you can get the book at any one of them and I hope you will read and enjoy it. I'm also 15,000 words into what will be my next main project Wizard-Assassin, the fifth book in the Half-Elven Thief series, and if all goes well, I want that to be out before Christmas. I'm also working on the outline for what will be the third book in the Blades of Ruin series, Blade of Storms, and that will hopefully, if all goes well, be the first book I publish in 2026. In audiobook news, as I mentioned last week, the audiobook of Blade of Flames is done and I believe as of this recording, you can get at my Payhip store, Google Play, Kobo, and I think Spotify. It's not up on Audible or Apple yet, but that should be soon, if all goes well. That is excellently narrated by Brad Wills. Hollis McCarthy is still working on Cloak of Embers. I believe main recording is done for that and it just has to be edited and proofed, so hopefully we'll get both audiobooks to you before the end of the year. So that is where I'm at with my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. 00:02:08 Main Topic of the Week: Autumn 2025 Movie Review Roundup Now on to this week's main project, the Autumn 2025 Movie Review Roundup. I watched a lot of classic horror movies this time around. The old Universal black and white monster movies from the '30s and '40s turned up on Prime for Halloween and I hadn't seen them since I was a kid, so I watched a bunch of them in October and November, which seemed an appropriate thing to do for Halloween. They mostly held up as well as I remembered from when I was a kid, which was a nice surprise. As ever, the grades I give these movies are totally subjective and based on nothing more than my own opinions and thoughts. With that, let's take a look at the movies from least favorite to most favorite. First up is The Other Guys, which came out in 2010 and this is a parody of the buddy cop/ cowboy cop movie along with a heavy critique of the reckless and corrupt culture of late 2000s Wall Street. "Dumb funny" movies I've noticed tend to fall on either side of the "dumb but actually funny" or "dumb and not funny" line. And this one definitely landed on "dumb but actually funny". Danson and Highsmith, played by The Rock and Samuel L. Jackson, are two maverick popular detectives who never do paperwork. Their paperwork is always done by Allen Gamble, who's played by Will Ferrell and Terry Hoitz, played by Mark Wahlberg. Gamble is a mild-mannered forensic accountant, while Hoitz desperately wants to be as cool as either Danson or Highsmith, but since he accidentally shot Yankees player Derek Jeter (in a recurring gag), he's a pariah within the New York Police Department. However, Danon and Highsmith's plot armor suddenly run out and they accidentally kill themselves in a darkly hilarious scene that made me laugh so much I hurt a little. Hoitz wants to step into their shoes, but Gamble has stumbled onto potentially dangerous case and soon Hoitz and Gamble have to overcome their difficulties and unravel a complicated financial crime. This was pretty funny and I enjoyed it. Amusingly in real life, someone like Gamble would be massively respected in whatever law enforcement agency he works for, since someone who prepares ironclad paperwork and correct documentation that stands up in court is an invaluable asset in law enforcement work. Overall Grade: B Next up is Fantastic Four: First Steps, which came out in 2025. I like this though, to be honest, I liked Thunderbolts and Superman 2025 better. I think my difficulty is I never really understood The Fantastic Four as a concept and why they're appealing. Maybe the Fantastic Four are one of those things you just have to imprint on when you're a kid to really enjoy or maybe at my age, the sort of retro futurism of the Four, the idea that science, technology, and rational thought will solve all our problems does seem a bit naive after the last 65 years of history or so. Additionally, the idea of a naked silver space alien riding a surfboard does seem kind of ridiculous. Anyway, the movie glides over the origin story of Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm and gets right into it. To their surprise, Reed and Sue find out that Sue is pregnant, which seemed unlikely due to their superpower induced genetic mutations. Shortly after that, the Silver Surfer arrives and announces that Earth will be devoured by Galactus. The Four travel in their spaceship to confront Galactus and realize that he's a foe far beyond their power, but Galactus offers them a bargain. If Reed and Sue give him their son, he will leave Earth in peace. They refuse and so it's up to the Four to figure out a way to save Earth and Reed and Sue's son. Pretty solid superhero movie all told, but it is amusing how in every version of the character, Reed Richards is allegedly the smartest man on Earth but still can't keep his mouth shut to save his life. Overall Grade: B The next movie is Superman, which came out in 1978. After seeing the 2025 version of Superman, I decided to watch the old one from the '70s. It's kind of a classic because it was one of the progenitors of the modern superhero film. Interestingly, it was one of the most expensive films ever made at that time, costing about $55 million in '70s-era dollars, which are much less inflated than today. A rough back of the envelope calculation would put 55 million in the '70s worth at about $272 million today, give or take. Anyway, this was a big gamble, but it paid off for the producers since they got $300 million back, which would be like around $1.4 billion in 2025 money. Anyway, the movie tells the origin story of Superman, how his father Jor-El knows that Krypton is doomed, so he sends Kal-El to Earth. Kal-El is raised as Clark Kent by his adoptive Kansas parents and uses his powers to become Superman- defender of truth, justice, and the American way. Superman must balance his growing feelings for ace reporter Lois Lane with his need for a secret identity and the necessity of stopping Lex Luthor's dangerous schemes. Christopher Reeve was an excellent Superman and the special effects were impressive by the standards of 1978, but I think the weakest part of the movie were the villains. Lex Luthor just seemed comedic and not at all that threatening. Unexpected fun fact: Mario Puzio, author of The Godfather, wrote the screenplay. Overall Grade: B Next up is Superman II, which came out in 1980. This is a direct sequel to the previous movie. When Superman stops terrorists from detonating a nuclear bomb by throwing it into space, the blast releases the evil Kryptonian General Zod and his minions from their prison and they decide to conquer Earth. Meanwhile, Superman is falling deeper in love with the Lois Lane and unknowing of the threat from Zod, decides to renounce his powers to live with Lois as an ordinary man. I think this had the same strengths and weaknesses as the first movie. Christopher Reeve was an excellent Superman. The special effects were impressive by the standards of the 1980s, but the villains remained kind of comedic goofballs. Additionally, and while this will sound harsh, this version of Lois Lane was kind of dumb and her main function in the plot was to generate problems for Superman via her questionable decisions. Like at the end, Superman has to wipe her memory because she can't keep his secret identity to herself. If this version of Lois Lane lived today, she'd be oversharing everything she ever thought or heard on TikTok. The 2025 movie version of Lois, by contrast, bullies Mr. Terrific into lending her his flying saucer so she can rescue Superman when he's in trouble and is instrumental in destroying Lex Luthor's public image and triggering his downfall. 1970s Louis would've just had a meltdown and made things worse until Superman could get around to rescuing her. Overall, I would say the 1978 movie was too goofy, the Zac Snyder Superman movies were too grimdark, but the 2025 Superman hit the right balance between goofy and serious. Overall Grade: B Next up is Dracula, which came out in 1931, and this was one of the earliest horror movies ever made and also one of the earliest movies ever produced with sound. It is a very compressed adaptation of the stage version of Dracula. Imagine the theatrical stage version of Dracula, but then imagine that the movie was only 70 minutes long, so you have to cut a lot to fit the story into those 70 minutes. So if you haven't read the book, Dracula the movie from 1931 will not make a lot of sense. It's almost like the "Cliff's Notes Fast Run" version of Dracula. That said, Bela Lugosi's famous performance as Dracula really carries the movie. Like Boris Karloff in Frankenstein and The Mummy (which we'll talk about shortly), Bela Lugosi really captures the uncanny valley aspect of Dracula because the count isn't human anymore and has all these little tics of a creature that isn't human but only pretending to be one. Edward Van Sloan's performance as Dr. Van Helsing is likewise good and helped define the character in the public eye. So worth watching as a historical artifact, but I think some of the other Universal monster movies (which we'll discuss shortly) are much stronger. Overall Grade: B Next up is The Horror of Dracula, which came out in 1958. This is one of the first of the Hammer Horror movies from the '50s, starring Peter Cushing as Dr. Van Helsing and Christopher Lee as Count Dracula. It's also apparently the first vampire movie ever made in color. Like the 1931 version of Dracula, it's a condensed version of the story, though frankly, I think it hangs together a little better. Van Helsing is a bit more of an action hero in this one, since in the end he engages Dracula in fisticuffs. The movie is essentially carried by the charisma of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee and worth watching as a good example of a classic '50s horror movie. Overall Grade: B Next up is The Wolf Man, which came out in 1941. This is another one of the classic Universal horror movies. This one features Lon Cheney Jr. as Larry Talbot, the younger son of Sir John Talbot. Larry's older brother died in a hunting accident, so Larry comes home to reconcile with his father and take up his duties as the family heir. Larry is kind of an amiable Average Joe and is immediately smitten with the prettiest girl in the village, but when he takes her out for a walk, they're attacked by a werewolf, who bites Larry. Larry and everyone else in the village do not believe in werewolves, but they're about to have their minds changed the hard way. The transformation sequences where Larry turns into the Wolfman were cutting edge of the time, though poor Lon Chaney Jr had to stay motionless for hours as they gradually glued yak hair to him. I think Claude Rains had the best performance in the movie as Sir John and he's almost the co-protagonist. Overall Grade: B Next up is Jurassic World: Rebirth, which came out in 2025, which I thought was a perfectly straightforward but nonetheless enjoyable adventure film. After all the many disasters caused by various genetic engineering experiments in the previous movies, dinosaurs mostly live in relatively compatible ecosystems and tropical zones near the equator. No one's looking to create a theme park with dinosaurs or create bioengineered dinosaurs as military assets any longer. However, the dinosaurs are still valuable for research and a pharmaceutical company is developing a revolutionary drug for treating cardiac disease. They just need some dinosaur blood from three of the largest species to finish it, and so the company hires a team of mercenaries to retrieve the blood. We have the usual Jurassic Park style story tropes: the savvy mercenary leader, the scientist protesting the ethics of it all, the sinister corporate executive, the troubled family getting sucked into the chaos. And of course, it all goes wrong and there are lots and lots of dinosaurs running around. It's all been done before of course, but this was done well and was entertaining. Overall Grade: B+ Next up is The Thursday Murder Club, which came out in 2025, and this is a cozy mystery set in a very high-end retirement home. Retired nurse Joyce moves into Coopers Chase, the aforementioned high end retirement home. Looking to make new friends, she falls in with a former MI6 agent named Liz, a retired trade unionist named Ron, and psychiatrist Ibrahim, who have what they call The Thursday Murder Club, where they look into cold cases and attempt to solve them. However, things are not all sunshine and light at Coopers Chase as the two owners of the building have fallen out. When one of them is murdered, The Thursday Murder Club has to solve a real murder before Coopers Chase is bulldozed to make high-end apartments. A good cozy mystery with high caliber acting talent. Both Pierce Brosnan and Jonathan Price are in the movie and regrettably do not share a scene together, because that would've been hilarious since they were both in the James Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies in the '90s with Brosnan as Bond and Price as the Bond villain for the movie. Overall Grade: B+ Next up is The Creature From the Black Lagoon, which came out in 1954 and is one of the last of the black and white classic horror movies since in the '50s, color film was just around the corner. When a scientist finds the unusual half fish, half human fossil on a riverbank in Brazil, he decides to organize an expedition upriver to see if he can find the rest of the fossil. The trail leads his expedition to the mysterious Black Lagoon, which all the locals avoid because of its bad reputation, but a living member of the species that produce the fossils lurking the lagoon while it normally doesn't welcome visitors, it does like the one female member of the expedition and decides to claim her for its own. The creature was good monster and the underwater water sequences were impressive by the standards of the 1950s. Overall Grade: A- Next up is The Invisible Man, which came out in 1933, and this is another of the classic Universal black and white horror movies. Jack Griffin is a scientist who discovered a chemical formula for invisibility. Unfortunately, one of the drugs in his formula causes homicidal insanity, so he becomes a megalomaniac who wants to use his invisibility to rule the world. This causes Griffin to overlook the numerous weaknesses of his invisibility, which allow the police to hunt him down. The Invisible Man's special effects were state of the art at the time and definitely hold up nearly a hundred years later. It's worth watching as another classic of the genre. Claude Rains plays Griffin, and as with The Wolf Man, his performance as Griffin descends into homicidal insanity is one of the strengths of the movie. Overall Grade: A- Next up is The Mummy, which came out in 1932, and this is another of the original Universal black and white horror movies. Boris Karloff plays the Mummy, who is the ancient Egyptian priest Imhotep, who was mummified alive for the crime of desiring the Pharaoh's daughter Ankh-es-en-Amon. After 3,000 years, Imhotep is accidentally brought back to life when an archeologist reads a magical spell and Imhotep sets out immediately to find the reincarnation of his beloved and transform her into a mummy as well so they can live together forever as undead. Edward Van Sloan plays Dr. Mueller, who is basically Edward Van Sloan's Van Helsing from Dracula if Van Helsing specialized in mummy hunting rather than vampire hunting. This version of the Mummy acts more like a Dungeons and Dragons lich instead of the now classic image of a shambling mummy in dragging bandages. That said, Boris Karloff is an excellent physical actor. As he does with Frankenstein, he brings Imhotep to life. His performance captures the essence of a creature that hasn't been human for a very long time, is trying to pretend to be human, and isn't quite getting there. Of course, the plot was reused for the 1999 version of The Mummy with Brendan Fraser. That was excellent and this is as well. Overall Grade: A- Next up is The Wedding Singer, which came out in 1998, and this is basically the Adam Sandler version of a Hallmark movie. Adam Sandler plays Robbie, a formerly famous musician whose career has lapsed and has become a wedding singer and a venue singer. He befriends the new waitress Julia at the venue, played by Drew Barrymore. The day after that, Robbie's abandoned at the altar by his fiancée, which is understandably devastating. Meanwhile, Julia's fiancé Glenn proposes to her and Robbie agrees to help her with the wedding planning since he's an expert in the area and knows all the local vendors. However, in the process, Robbie and Julia fall in love, but are in denial about the fact, a situation made more tense when Robbie realizes Glenn is cheating on Julia and intends to continue to do so after the wedding. So it's basically a Hallmark movie filtered through the comedic sensibilities of Adam Sandler. It was very funny and Steve Buscemi always does great side characters in Adam Sandler movies. Overall Grade: A Next up is Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, which came out in 2025. This movie was sort of a self-indulgent victory lap, but it was earned. The writers of the sitcom Community used to joke that they wanted "six seasons and a movie" and Downton Abbey got "six seasons and three movies". Anyway, this movie is about handing off things to the next generation. Lord Grantham is reluctant to fully retire as his daughter goes through a scandal related to her divorce. The next generation of servants take over as the previous ones ease into retirement. What's interesting is both the nobles and the servants are fully aware that they're sort of LARPing a historical relic by this point because by 1930, grand country houses like Downton were increasingly rare in the UK since World War I wiped out most of them and crippling post-war taxes and economic disruption finished off many more. Anyway, if you like Downton Abbey, you like this movie. Overall Grade: A Next up is Argo, which came out in 2012, a very tense thriller about the Iranian hostage crisis in 1979. During that particular crisis, six Americans escaped the embassy and hid out at the Canadian Ambassador's house in Tehran. For obvious reasons, the Canadian ambassador wanted them out as quickly as possible, so the CIA and the State Department needed to cook up a plan to get the six out while the rest of the government tried to figure out what to do about the larger group of hostages. Finally, the government comes with "Argo." A CIA operative will create a fake film crew, a fake film company, and smuggle the six out of Tehran as part of the production. The movie was very tense and very well constructed, even if you know the outcome in advance if you know a little bit of history. Ben Affleck directed and starred, and this was in my opinion one of his best performances. It did take some liberties with historical accuracy, but nonetheless, a very tense political thriller/heist movie with some moments of very dark comedy. Overall Grade: A Next up is The Naked Gun, which came out in 2025, and this is a pitch perfect parody of the gritty cop movie with a lot of absurdist humor, which works well because Liam Neeson brings his grim action persona to the movie and it works really well with the comedy. Neeson plays Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr., the son of the original Frank Drebin from The Naked Gun movies back in the '80s. After stopping a bank robbery, Drebin finds himself investigating the suicide of an engineer for the sinister tech mogul Richard Cane. Naturally, the suicide isn't what it appears and when the engineer's mysterious but seductive sister asks for Drebin's help, he pushes deeper into the case. Richard Cane was a hilarious villain because the writers couldn't decide which tech billionaire to parody with him, so they kind of parodied all the tech billionaires at once, and I kid you not, the original Frank Drebin makes an appearance as a magical owl. It was hilarious. Overall Grade: A Now for my two favorite things I saw in Autumn 2025. The first is the combination of Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein, which came out in 1931 and 1935. These are two separate movies, but Frankenstein leads directly to Bride of Frankenstein, so I'm going to treat them as one movie. Honestly, I think they're two halves of the same story the way that Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame would be two halves of the same story 90 years later, so I'll review them as one. Frankenstein by itself on its own will get a B. Colin Clive's performance is Dr. Henry Frankenstein was great, and Boris Karloff gives the Creature a suitable air of menace and uncanny valley. You really feel like he's something that's been brought to life but isn't quite right and still extremely dangerous. The movie does have a very pat ending that implies everyone will live happily ever after, with Dr. Frankenstein's father giving a toast to his son. But Bride of Frankenstein takes everything from the first movie and improves on it. It's one of those sequels that actually makes the preceding movie better. In Bride, Henry is recovering from his ordeal and swears off his experiments of trying to create artificial humans, but the Creature survived the fire at the windmill at the end of the last movie and is seeking for a new purpose. Meanwhile, Henry receives a visit from his previous mentor, the sinister Dr. Pretorius. Like Henry, Pretorius succeeded in creating artificial life and now he wants to work with Henry to perfect their work, but Henry refuses, horrified by the consequences of his previous experiments. Pretorius, undaunted, makes an alliance with the Creature, who then kidnaps Henry's wife. This will let Pretorius force Henry to work on their ultimate work together-a bride for the Creature. Bride of Frankenstein is a lot tighter than Frankenstein. It was surprising to see how rapidly filmmaking techniques evolved over just four years. Pretorius is an excellent villain, more evil wizard than mad scientist, and the scene where he calmly and effortlessly persuades the Creature to his side was excellent. One amusing note, Bride was framed as Mary Shelley telling the second half of the story to her friends, and then the actress playing Mary Shelley, Elsa Lancaster, also played the Bride. So that was a funny bit of meta humor. Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein combined is one of my two favorite movies of Fall 2025. Overall Grade: A+ And now for my second favorite movie of Autumn 2025, which as it turns out is also Frankenstein, but Guillermo del Toro's version that came out in 2025. And honestly, I think Guillermo del Toro's version of Frankenstein is the best version put to screen so far and even does the rarest of all feats, it improves a little on the original novel. Oscar Isaac plays Victor Frankenstein as a brilliant, driven scientist with something of a sociopathic edge. In other words, he's a man who's utterly inadequate to the task when his experiment succeeds and he actually creates an artificial human that have assembled dead body parts. Jacob Elordi does a good job as the Creature, playing him is essentially a good hearted man who's driven to violence and despair by the cruelty and rejection of the world. The recurring question of the Frankenstein mythos is whether or not Victor Frankenstein is the real monster. In this version, he definitely is, though he gets a chance to repent of his evil by the end. Honestly, everything about this was good. The performances, the cinematography, everything. How good was it? It was so good that I will waive my usual one grade penalty for unnecessary nudity since there were a few brief scenes of it. Overall Grade: A+ So that was the Autumn 2025 Movie Roundup. A lot of good movies this time around. While some movies of course were better than others, I didn't see anything I actively disliked, which is always nice. So that's it for this week. Thanks 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 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.  

This month, we dove into one of our core values: connection. We loved welcoming back a special part of the Valo circle—our alumni. It was such a treat to catch up, hear their stories about what connection meant to them when they were here, and see how they've carried that same spirit into their lives today. Moments like these remind us why connection is at the heart of everything we do.

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)

In this week's episode, we discuss the advantages of digital content ownership for both readers and writers. This coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Cloak of Ashes, Book #3 in the Cloak Mage series, (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy) at my Payhip store: CLOAK2025 The coupon code is valid through November 24, 2025. So if you need a new audiobook this fall, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 277 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is November 14th, 2025, and today we are discussing the benefits of owning your own content for both readers and writers. Before we get to our main topic, we will start off with Coupon of the Week and then a progress update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. First up is Coupon of the Week. This week's coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Cloak of Ashes, Book #3 in the Cloak Mage series (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy), at my Payhip store. That coupon code is CLOAK2025. And as always, the coupon code and the links to my Payhip store will be available in the show notes. This coupon code is valid through November 24th, 2025, so if you need a new audiobook for your Thanksgiving travels this month, we have got you covered. Now for an update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. I'm pleased to report the rough draft of Blade of Shadows is done. This will be the second book in my Blades of Ruin epic fantasy series. Right now, it is just about exactly as long as Blade of Flames. It may be a little longer or a little shorter depending on how editing goes since there's some stuff I'm going to cut out, but there's also some scenes I'm going to add. I also wrote a short story called Elven Arrow. Newsletter subscribers will get a free ebook copy of Elven Arrow when Blade of Shadows comes out, which will hopefully be before American Thanksgiving at the end of the month. I'm about 23% of the way through the first editing pass, so making good progress there and hope to keep up with the good progress. I am 11,000 words into Wizard-Assassin. That will be my next main project once the Blade of Shadows is published and probably the final book I publish in 2025, because I think the first book I do in 2026 will be Blades of Ruin #3, if all goes well. In audiobook news, the recording for Blade of Flames is done and it's gradually making its way out into the world (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills). I think as of the time of this recording, the only place where it's actually live is Google Play, but hopefully more stores will come online soon, and it would be cool if the Blade of Flames audiobook was available everywhere before Blade of Shadows came out. Hollis McCarthy is still working on Cloak of Embers and we hope to have that to you before the end of the year, if all goes well. So that's where I'm at with current writing, publishing and audiobook projects. 00:02:25 Main Topic: Digital Content Ownership as a Reader and Writer Now let's move on to our own topic, the ownership of digital content as both a reader and a writer. As the digital revolution has gone on and on and put more decades behind it, people are increasingly building very large digital content libraries and it's an increasingly tangled point of law what happens to those digital libraries when for example, their account gets suspended, or for example, someone else dies and wants to leave their Steam library of games to their heirs. We're today going to be focusing on digital content ownership for readers and writers, and we'll start with readers. Although the price of an ebook and print book of many traditionally published books are roughly the same at this point (and sometimes bafflingly, the ebook versions cost more), the rights you have as the owner of the ebook copy are substantially less powerful. In fact, technically speaking, you aren't actually the owner of an ebook purchased from Amazon or other retailers. It's more accurate to say that you purchased a long-term conditional lease. As a side note, I'm talking about this from the perspective of United States Copyright law and ebook/audiobook stores there. The laws and standards in your own country may be different. Also, I am not a lawyer and nothing in this episode should be taken as legal advice. You obtain legal advice by hiring a lawyer licensed to practice in your jurisdiction. But now back to the main argument. In America, there is something known as the First Sale Doctrine. This section of the US Copyright Act allows physical media to be lent out and resold, among other things. For example, someone who purchases a physical book is considered its owner and the publisher can't take it back from them. The physical version of books can be used in libraries or as classroom materials until they literally fall apart, unlike their electronic equivalents, which face complicated licensing agreements that generally offer far less favorable terms of use for a much larger cost (especially for libraries and academic institutions). In the US, electronic content ownership is covered by contract law instead of the First Sale Doctrine. Although each seller has their own licenses and standards, a few things tend to remain consistent across those licenses: the inability to lend or resell the content, the inability to remove DRM from the content, and the right of the seller to alter or even remove the content. Ownership is not a right guaranteed for digital content. There is an American lawsuit currently challenging Amazon Prime Video and its use of words like "purchase" and "buy" for its video content. The lawsuit accuses Amazon of misrepresenting a heavily conditional license as a purchase, giving the average customer the impression that they own the content in perpetuity. Amazon lawyers argue that the average customer understands the difference, but frequent outrages over content being removed from users' libraries suggests otherwise. Here are four reasons owning your ebook content is important. #1: Keeping access to the content if the company closes or gets bought out. One of the early leaders in the US ebook store market way back at the start of the indie revolution was Sony. When their Sony Reader store closed, they gave readers the option to migrate their libraries to Kobo. Books that were not available through Kobo were not able to be transferred, so some purchased content was lost for readers. A more egregious example comes from, as you might expect, Microsoft with the closing of the Microsoft ebook store in 2019. When the store closed, they offered refunds instead of giving readers an opportunity to self-archive or transfer their purchases. Any margin notes taken by readers were lost, and they were given a $25 credit for the inconvenience. Although refunding customers was a good gesture, it's not a guarantee that readers are able to repurchase the ebooks elsewhere or even that the price would be the same when they did. As an aside, I spent a good chunk of time in 2018 trying to figure out how to get into the Microsoft ebook store and then finally gave up because it was too complicated, which in hindsight turned out to be a good decision. Owning your ebooks outright gives them independence from the store that you bought them from. #2: Keeping content from being altered. Ebooks can be altered anytime. Most of the time these changes are harmless, such as updating a cover, fixing a typo, or adding a preview chapter. I do that myself all the time. Every time I get typo corrections, I upload a new version. Yet there is a potential for books to be edited or censored from the original copy that you purchased. Chapters could be removed, scenes altered, or in extreme cases, the entire book could be removed. Owning a hard copy means that you have a version that cannot be changed without your knowledge. #3: The ability to self-archive. Most ebook stores use a form of digital rights management (DRM) that makes it difficult to transfer or permanently store your collection outside of their collection or library. Trying to do so is a violation of the license you purchased from the store, so I won't discuss how to do that. Amazon recently made self-archiving more difficult by discontinuing the feature to download and transfer Kindle books via USB. Finding DRM-free ebook stores is important if you want to organize and store your ebook collection as you see fit. Two examples of stores with DRM-free ebooks are Smashwords and direct [sales] sites like My Payhip store. Other stores like Kobo have a dedicated section devoted to DRM-free ebooks. #4: Keeping your reading habits private. Companies like Amazon track reading data, mostly out of a desire to sell you similar books or ad space. They track what you're reading, the amount of time you spend reading, your reading speed, and the highlights that you make in a book. Now, most of the time this is generally pretty harmless. It's mostly used for…you look on Amazon, you see that the section "customers who enjoyed this book also enjoyed this". Then if you use the Kindle app on your phone a lot, it has a lot of badges and achievements and it tends to be used for that kind of thing. However, there could be sinister undertones to this, especially if you're reading things you would prefer other people not know about. So if this concerns you, if there are some settings that you can adjust, but if you want complete privacy, outright ownership of your ebooks is the way to go. So what is the easiest way to own your own ebooks as a reader? The easiest way and perhaps the safest way to own your content outright is to buy print copies of books. That said, buying direct from authors or finding ebooks that have more favorable license terms is easiest way to own your ebook purchases. One of the reasons that opening a Payhip store was important to me was I gave my readers a chance to outright own purchased copies of my work and self-archive them in the way that they saw fit, if that was important to them. The price is the same on my Payhip store as other ebook or audiobook stores (and sometimes even cheaper if you're using Coupon of the Week). The ebooks and audiobooks there are DRM-free and untethered from specific stores and companies. You have the option to download files in a variety of file formats and store them in a way that makes the most sense to you. Buying direct also gives a greater share of the sale price to the authors, especially in the case of audiobooks. In conclusion, ebooks lag behind print books in terms of ownership rights for purchasers here in the United States (at the time of this recording). That said, you can be an informed consumer by reading terms of use carefully and educating yourself to make sure that you have the most possible access to your purchased content. Now, we've covered that from the reader side, and let's look at it from the side of the content creators, specifically writers. This can also apply to other content creators such as musicians, and we're going to use a very famous example for that, Taylor Swift. The general public learned about the importance of fully owning your content as a creator during the long and very public battle between musician Taylor Swift and the record company that sold her work to a private equity firm associated with someone she personally disliked. She owned the copyrights to the works (along with her various collaborators), but not the masters, the specific recordings of each song. As long as she didn't own her masters, she didn't have control over song choices for her public performances, the label releasing older content against her wishes, or how her music would be licensed out for commercial use. Swift reasserted control by rerecording old albums (a strategy previously used by the musician Prince), which gave her ownership of these new masters and devalued the original masters to the point where she could later afford to buy them outright. Many artists, including Olivia Rodrigo, credit Swift for helping them to negotiate adding the ownership of their masters into their contracts. As predatory as the publishing industry can be, the music industry tends to make them look like rank amateurs in terms of sheer evil. So it is a testament to her popularity and business success that she was able to convince them to do this. The world's most famous pop star taught millions of fans that owning your work is the ultimate goal of a creative. Why is ownership of your work important for writers specifically and not just American pop stars? We'll discuss six reasons why it's important for content creators and specifically writers in this episode. And as a reminder yet again, I'm talking about this from the perspective of United States law. Laws and standards in your own country may be different. Also, I am not a lawyer and nothing in this episode should be taken as legal advice. You obtain proper legal advice by contacting a lawyer licensed to practice in your jurisdiction. So with that in mind, let's get into the topic. What is ownership as a writer? Writers generally keep the copyrights to works they sell to publishers. Writers are essentially selling the right or a license to produce and distribute their book in a certain format, language, and geographic area. Most of the time, geographic area rights are sold separately. For example, rights for the Harry Potter books are owned by Scholastic in the United States and Bloomsbury in the United Kingdom. Sometimes writers will keep the rights in a specific format, like when I signed with Tantor to give them the audio rights to the first five Frostborn books while keeping the rights to my print and ebook formats. What writers lose in the process of selling to publishers is the ability to control how their work is marketed, packaged, and sold. They do not have the freedom to make major decisions such as when a book is released or where it is marketed. Today I am going to share six reasons that retaining ownership is important for writers and what things you generally sacrifice when you sign with a traditional publisher instead of self-publishing or indie publishing. #1: Creative control. It is not standard to have complete control over your book's cover design. Often an artist is able to submit suggestions to the designer, but the publisher has ultimate authority over the book's cover. Sometimes covers end up being wildly inappropriate for the book, but the author has no recourse. The same is usually true with the ability to pick an audiobook narrator or change anything about the narration. At times, writers (especially new ones) are pressured into changes they do not want by editors. The surest way to completely lose all creative control is signed with a book packager like Alloy Entertainment. If you want to hear the story of how L.J. Smith was fired from her own series due to a plot dispute with that publisher, YouTuber Jenny Nicholson covers it in her epic length summary of The Vampire Diaries show. Although a certain paycheck from a book packager is tempting, you'd be wisest not to create any fictional characters or worlds for this type of publisher for that reason. #2: Dead Series Syndrome. If the first book in a series does not sell well, the publisher tends to abandon the series. The next book in the series might be ready for publication, but they're not obligated to publish it if they suspect it will not be profitable. Unfinished series are extremely common in traditional publishing, unfortunately. Writers who are locked into a contract for a series are generally out of luck putting out the books on their own. Even if they put out later books on their own, not having the rights to the first book in the series makes it difficult for a writer to sell and market subsequent books. I had a series (Demonsouled) that I wanted to continue even though the first book was released by my publisher. I was able to get the rights back for it and then was able to self-publish this rest of the series. This was much easier to do 14 years ago than it is now. Modern contracts, especially from larger publishers, are not so generous in letting authors do this. It would be much easier to start as a self-published author and have full control over the trajectory of your series and make sure readers are able to finish it instead of waiting for a contract to elapse or fighting a difficult, hard to win battle to get the rights back. #3: The ability to change. One of the perks of owning your book is the ability to make quick changes that react to data. For example, I was able to retitle the Stealth and Spells series fairly quickly when it became immediately clear upon release that some found the original title confusing. A traditional publisher would likely not have bothered to make the effort unless there was a legal reason for doing so. The ability to change covers, repackaging books in different ways (like omnibus editions), and to make quick changes to the book on the fly (such as fixing typos or continuity errors), is the unique privilege that comes with owning your own work. Publishers are slow to make these types of changes, if they do it at all. #4: Profit. Writers typically only receive an advance (an initial lump sum) when working with a traditional publisher. The complexities of publisher accounting usually ensure that only great successes receive royalties, and often even those that do can take a while to reach that benchmark. Royalties are typically doled out quarterly or semi-annually, for those who make enough to receive them. The earning statements are fairly byzantine. It's hard for the average person to understand them fully to make sure they're being paid exactly what is owed to them. Owning your own work and publishing yourself means that you keep all of the profit after the cut taken by the ebook store and whatever you pay cover designers, editors, and so on. You can see all of the sales as they come in and don't have to wait for those two to four royalty checks each year in order to get paid. It's much easier to make a living as a writer and to feel confident that you can pay others when you have more accurate data on the money coming in. Indie publishing sacrifices the certainty of an advance for a far, far greater share of the profits in the long run. Additionally, agents typically take a 15 to 20% commission on author earnings, and they are an essential part of the process in traditional publishing. It's just about impossible to get foot in the door with traditional publishing without one. Most self-published writers don't bother with an agent, which means they're able to keep that cut of the money and don't have to shape their work around the preferences and whims of an agent. They also spared the stress and hassle of working with an unethical or bad agent (of which they're unfortunately far too many). #5: Professional freedom. The publisher decides when the books are released or if they're released at all. Are you ready to publish a book two months after the first one is released? Too bad. A publisher is not going to put out the next one that quickly. The traditional wisdom of publishing schedules seems wildly out of date in the content-heavy modern world, where algorithms reward recent titles and frequent publishing. Publishing more often also helps fans stay connected to your work, and frankly, it's much easier to make a living as a writer putting out several books a year instead of just one. Additionally, traditionally published writers do not control how a book is marketed. Are you upset that your book is being marketed as a romance when you think it's complex literary fiction? Too bad. It's not your call. In fact, writers may be contractually obligated to post content to their social media pages written or approved in advance by the marketing department at the publisher. You might have to put your name publicly to marketing copy you dislike or disagree with in order to not violate your contract. In a related vein, you might find that if you post heavily on your social media pages about political or controversial topics, you may be reprimanded by the publisher or in some cases, have your contract canceled entirely. Although indie authors aren't immune from social consequences of what they post, no publisher is holding them back from posting what they want just because they're writers and the publisher is scared of what the shareholders might think. #6: The publisher being sold. One of the biggest problems for traditionally published writers is when their publisher is sold to another one. This may mean restructuring that takes away staff they worked with a long time (like a favorite editor being replaced by an inexperienced one). As smaller publishers are eaten up by the larger ones, you might find that your books become an afterthought and you don't have any power to fix that. You might even have to fight to get paid what you're owed in your own contracts, which writers of Star Wars books found out when Disney acquired Lucasfilm. Apparently when Disney bought Lucasfilm, it decided it no longer owed royalties to several writers of Star Wars tie-in novels that Lucasfilm had published and weren't going to pay them until it went public and caused a bit of controversy. Finally, a settlement was reached. This is sort of the shifty behavior that Disney is well known for in certain circles, and it is something you have to watch out for with large publishers and media conglomerates. The easiest way to keep this from happening is, once again, to publish yourself and keep ownership of your work. In conclusion, when traditional publishing was the only way to become a writer, their restrictions and control were something you had to live with because you had no other option. Now that self-publishing is extremely accessible and traditional publishing is shrinking, it's no longer worth making the trade-offs that authors once had to in order to gain readers of their work. Although I never actually listened to a Taylor Swift song all the way through, her career and business ventures are proof that owning your work as a creative is the best way forward. Ownership should be the starting point, not the end goal of anyone who values creative control and fair, transparent payment for their creative work. So that is it for this week. I hope that illuminated the importance of owning your own work, especially if you are a writer or other creative. Thanks 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 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.

"Rocks Off" The Connecticut-born singer songwriter Sean Griffin has helmed the Irish punk outfit The Ruffians for close to thirty years. With three great albums under their belts, the band has played shows with everyone from Shane MacGowan to Black 47 and in the process, they've garnered a reputation for being one of the best live acts around. Sean's solo work swaps some of the traditional instrumentation of the Ruffians and makes winning detours into Britpop and indie rock bliss. His first single was the rousing "People Are Mad" which was followed up by "Rocks Off" which is a swaggering blast of pop mastery which may very well be a late entry into one of the year's biggest bangers. Griffin's voice has plenty of muscle and plenty of elegance and that rare mix brings to mind the raw but polished athleticism of a gymnast, which, by the way, Griffin actually was. We talk about that and so much more... www.seangriffinrocks.com (http://www.seangriffinrocks.com) www.bombshellradio.com (http://www.bombshellradio.com) www.stereoembersmagazine.com www.alexgreenbooks.com (http://www.alexgreenbooks.com) Stereo Embers BLUESKY + IG: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com

"Hammer + Echo" Getting their start in the early '80s, the Kilkenny Cats were one of the most fascinating bands at a time when there were a lot of fascinating bands around. Formed by the North Carolina born Tom Cheek, who had relocated to Athens, Georgia for college, the Kilkenny Cats played a dark and moody blend of post-punk and psychedelia that still, after all these years, feels decidedly timeless. Here's what I mean by that--sometimes when you listen to a band you can hear the years they existed. We won't name. names, but you know what I mean--however, when it comes to the Kilkenny Cats, their music was so singular, they elude the timeline. Although their fellow city dwelling comrades ranged from REM to Pylon to Love Tractor, they were their own thing. Alive with jangling guitars, prowling basslines, foreboding drums and sonorous vocals, the Kilkenny Cats' music was awash in mystery and maybe that's why all these years later, they still sound as pressingly relevant as ever. They were a beloved live act, they had a deal with Twin/Tone, played shows with REM and Husker Du and then? Well, then decades of silence. Why? Well, that's what we're here to figure out and Tom Cheek walks us through it all. Spoiler alert: The 'Cats are back and more music in addition to the wonderful expanded reissue of 1988's Hammer + Echo, will be coming. I'll let him explain. www.propellorsoundrecordings.com www.bombshellradio.com (http://www.bombshellradio.com) www.stereoembersmagazine.com www.alexgreenbooks.com (http://www.alexgreenbooks.com) Stereo Embers IG + BLUESKY: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com

Ready to ignite your soul under the Taurus Super Full Moon? Dive deep into cosmic alchemy, earth energy, and the secrets of celestial transformation. Discover how Venus, Pluto, and Jupiter power your inner wisdom, resilience, and creative drive—plus, experience an immersive guided meditation to activate your light. Tune in to the Everything Is Energy Podcast: this episode is your invitation to slow down, trust your intuition, and step confidently into your role as a conscious creator. Thank you for joining me—your light is needed now more than ever! Join my email list: www.everythingisenergyapothecary.com/contact

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

SCRIPTURE- James 1:22"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."REFLECTION- JeffMUSIC- "A Walk in the Forest" by Brian Crain- "Embers" by Helen Jane LongNOTES-PRAYER OF LETTING GOTo You do I belong, O God, into Your hands I surrender my life. Pour out Your Spirit upon me that I may love You perfectly, and serve You faithfully until my soul rests in You.

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

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.

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.

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.

. 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

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

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

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

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/X @shonenflopcast, Bluesky shonenflop.bsky.social, or email shonenflop@gmail.com • Help keep the show running by joining the Shonen Flop Patreon at patreon.com/shonenflop. Get perks like early access to episodes; picking series for us to cover; and exclusive episodes on manga like Undead Unluck, Magu-chan: God of Destruction, and Cypher Academy. • 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 • Get Shonen Flop merch, including this episode's cover art, on a shirt, mug, print, or whatever else might catch your eye https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shonen-flop?ref_id=22733 • 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