Podcasts about Isles

Now that the Islanders are settling into the '25-'26 season, the team is finally starting to take shape. Good enough to squeeze out wins, but average enough to let points slip away. Is this win-some, lose-some what we should come to expect for the rest of the season? Or can the Isles find a way to settle things defensively and put more strikes in the win column? Arthur & Sean discuss it all and Chris Peters of FloHockey pays a visit to cover what's happening with the Islanders youth!Follow HNiNY on all social media platforms at @hockeynightnySponsored by Nok HockeySponsored by Raiser, Kenniff, & Lonstein Attorneys at LawRecorded at Floored MediaSubscribe to our friends at IslesFix newsletter!

When people talk about the Gaelic clans of Scotland, they usually picture the Highlands and the Isles. But what about Galloway? In this episode, I dive into the rich, overlooked story of the Gaelic clans of Galloway — a region whose people shared the same ethnic and cultural roots as the clans of the Hebrides.We'll explore their origins, language, and leadership structures, and highlight some of the key families that played vital roles in medieval Scotland — clans too often forgotten in popular retellings of Scottish history.If you want to understand how the Galloway clans fit into the broader story of Gaelic Scotland, this episode is for you.Explore More:

Get ready for a musical adventure across the Celtic world. From wild reels to heartfelt ballads, these artists capture the spirit of the isles. Celebrate Celtic music and culture before IrishFest Atlanta on the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast #733 - - Subscribe now! Blame Not The Bard, The Gothard Sisters, Jesse Ferguson, Eloise & Co., The Far North, Ritchie Remo, The Bookends, Ainsley Hamill, Nerea The Fiddler, Amelia Hogan, Reilly, Drumspyder, George Murphy and The Rising Sons, Kim Carnie, The Irish Lassies GET CELTIC MUSIC NEWS IN YOUR INBOX The Celtic Music Magazine is a quick and easy way to plug yourself into more great Celtic culture. Enjoy seven weekly news items with what's happening with Celtic music and culture online. Subscribe now and get 34 Celtic MP3s for Free. VOTE IN THE CELTIC TOP 20 FOR 2025 This is our way of finding the best songs and artists each year. You can vote for as many songs and tunes that inspire you in each episode. Your vote helps me create this year's Best Celtic music of 2025 episode. You have until December 4 to vote for this episode. Vote Now! You can follow our playlist on YouTube to listen to those top voted tracks as they are added every 2 - 3 weeks. THIS WEEK IN CELTIC MUSIC 0:09 - Blame Not The Bard "Slide In The Sky / The Ocean Breeze / Until The Sun Rises" from Slide In The Sky / The Ocean Breeze / Until The Sun Rises (Single) 3:51 - WELCOME 6:50 - The Gothard Sisters "Adventurer" from Moment in Time 9:59 - Jesse Ferguson "Scots Who Have with Wallace Bled" from Ten 12:09 - Eloise & Co. "Avant - deux de Vitteaux/Queen's Bath" from avec Elodie 15:57 - Olivia Bradley "Amhrán Na bhFiann" from Amhrán Na bhFiann 17:05 - The Far North "Hummingbird" from Songs For Weathering Storms 20:18 - FEEDBACK 24:50 - Ritchie Remo "Hills Of Connemara" from Hills of Connemara Single 27:54 - The Bookends "The Old Grove" from A Celtic Celebration 31:04 - Ainsley Hamill "Cumha an Eich - Uisge" from FABLE 34:06 - Nerea The Fiddler "The Return" from Off The Beaten Path 38:25 - Amelia Hogan "Snow Hare" from Burnished 41:24 - THANKS 43:16 - Reilly "Black Velvet Band" from Durty Pool 47:01 - Drumspyder "Paddy on the Erie / The Toormore" from Oak and Ash 51:04 - George Murphy and The Rising Sons "Something Out of Nothing" from Something Out of Nothing 55:48 - Kim Carnie "Oran na Beiste Maoile" from A' Chailleach Òran: "OH - ran" (the "ò" is a long 'o' sound) na: "na" (the "a" is a schwa or unstressed 'a' sound) Bèiste: "BEYSH - tya" (a softer, palatalized 's' sound, followed by "tya" rather than a hard 't' sound) Maoile: "MWAH - lee" (the "aoi" combination makes a sound similar to "oo - ee" but with more of an "ah - ee" diphthong) 59:09 - CLOSING 1:00:08 - The Irish Lassies "Redwood Shepherd" from Immigration Stories 1:03:35 - CREDITS Support for this program comes from Hank Woodward. Support for this program comes from Dr. Annie Lorkowski of Centennial Animal Hospital in Corona, California. Support for this program comes from International speaker, Joseph Dumond, teaching the ancient roots of the Gaelic people. Learn more about their origins at Sightedmoon.com Support for this program comes from Cascadia Cross Border Law Group, Creating Transparent Borders for more than twenty five years, serving Alaska and the world. Find out more at www.CascadiaLawAlaska.com The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast was produced by Marc Gunn, The Celtfather and our Patrons on Patreon. The show was edited by Mitchell Petersen with Graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. Visit our website to follow the show. You'll find links to all of the artists played in this episode. Todd Wiley is the editor of the Celtic Music Magazine. Subscribe to get 34 Celtic MP3s for Free. Plus, you'll get 7 weekly news items about what's happening with Celtic music and culture online. Best of all, you will connect with your Celtic heritage. Please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor. Finally, remember. Clean energy isn't just good for the planet, it's good for your wallet. Solar and wind are now the cheapest power sources in history. But too many politicians would rather protect billionaires than help working families save on their bills. Real change starts when we stop allowing the ultra - rich to write our energy policy and run our government. Let's choose affordable, renewable power. Clean energy means lower costs, more freedom, and a planet that can actually breathe. Promote Celtic culture through music at http://celticmusicpodcast.com/. WELCOME THE IRISH & CELTIC MUSIC PODCAST * Helping you celebrate Celtic culture through music. I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Celtic musician and also host of Pub Songs & Stories. Every song has a story, every episode is a toast to Celtic and folk songwriters. Discover the stories behind the songs from the heart of the Celtic pub scene. This podcast is for fans of all kinds of Celtic music. We are here to build a diverse Celtic community and help the incredible artists who so generously share their music with you. If you hear music you love, please email artists to let them know you heard them on the Irish and Celtic Music Podcast. Musicians depend on your generosity to release new music. So please find a way to support them. Buy a CD, Album Pin, Shirt, Digital Download, or join their community on Patreon. You can find a link to all of the artists in the shownotes, along with show times, when you visit our website at celticmusicpodcast.com. Email follow@bestcelticmusic to learn how to subscribe to the podcast and you will get a free music - only episode. You'll also learn how to get your band played on the podcast. Bands don't need to send in music, and you will get a free eBook called Celtic Musicians Guide to Digital Music. It's 100% free. Again email follow@bestcelticmusic ALBUM PINS ARE CHANGING THE WAY WE HEAR CELTIC MUSIC I got an email from Discmakers, my CD manufacturer, saying they were forced to raise their prices because of tariffs by our president. This is a tax on Americans. So if you love CDs, remember that the prices will go up. So please support those higher priced CDs. But there is an option for those who don't want to buy CDs and for those who want a better alternative for the environment. It's the Album Pin. Album Pins are lapel pins themed to a particular album. You get a digital download of the album. Then you can wear your album. All of my latest Album Pins are wood - burned and locally produced. This makes them better for the environment. And they are fun and fashionable. If you want to learn more about Album Pins, you can read more about them on my celtfather.Substack.com or just buy one at magerecords.com IRISHFEST ATLANTA Join us at IrishFest Atlanta on Nov 7 - 9, 2025. You'll enjoy exclusive concerts with Open the Door For Three with Special Guest dancer Kevin Doyle on Friday and Teada on Saturday night. Plus enjoy music from Kathleen Donohoe, O'Brian's Bards, Olivia Bradley, Roundabouts, The Kinnegans, The Muckers, Irish Brothers, Celtic Brew, Station 1 2 3 and special set from Inara and Marc Gunn. There are music and dance workshops, Irish cooking competitions, IrishTea, Irish Films, and of course, LOTS of Irish dancing. Celebrate your Irish heritage at IrishFest Atlanta in November. Bring a friend! Learn more at IrishFestAtlanta.com THANK YOU PATRONS OF THE PODCAST! Your support makes the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast possible, nearly every week of the year. You're not just funding a show. You're fueling a movement that shares the magic of Celtic music with thousands around the world. Your generosity covers everything from audio engineering and artwork to the Celtic Music Magazine, show promotion, and buying music from independent Celtic artists. If you're not a patron yet? You're missing out! You get ✨ Early access to episodes

Andrew takes a look at the Islanders through their first 13 games of the season, plus hear from Jonathan Drouin.

In this episode, Jaffe & Razor break down the Bruins 4-3 shootout win over the New York Islanders. They discuss a tactically sound first period, the second line making a difference, Arvidsson gaining confidence, Swayman settling in, Khusnutdinov's comfort level & plenty more! Take a second to visit some of our great sponsors! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Fazenda at fazendacoffe.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Sparx Hockey at www.sparxhockey.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Visit Copeland Auto Group at www.countoncopeland.com⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Sunset Lake CBD at www.sunsetlakecbd.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back on First of the Sun, and YOLEN!!! Exciting! - - FN Episode 277 - - Isles of the Emberdark Book Giveaway - https://forms.gle/RZ2fA8H7boxUw93D8

Sean & Arthur cover the Islanders 1-2-1 road trip and return to Long Island after their tilt vs the Columbus Blue Jackets. Can the Isles improve upon their .500 October? Darius Kasparaitis joins the guys to talk all things Isles!Follow HNiNY on all social media platforms at @hockeynightnySponsored by Nok HockeySponsored by Raiser, Kenniff, & Lonstein Attorneys at LawRecorded at Floored MediaSubscribe to our friends at IslesFix newsletter!

Welcome to Daily Faceoff Live with Tyler Yaremchuk and Carter Hutton!Today we start the show talking about a dissapointing World Series for the Jays and what it's like to be that close to winning it all. We then jump back to hockey talk and do our "Man of the Weekend". Tyler picks Martin Necas and Hutts chose Jet Greaves out in Columbus.Then we jump to the Super Rookie Matthew Schaefer who continues to shine in New York. Are we looking at the next defensive great.Then some news from last week as Jacob Markstrom signs a 2 Year deal in New Jersey. Does this goalie tandem have what it takes to take New Jersey to the cup?Brock Seguin from Daily Faceoff Fantasy then joins the show to help fantasy managers win their weeks with "A guy, a stat, and a trend."SHOUTOUT TO OUR SPONSORS!!

Shade and Quinari have a word with Gunkfangs, Dis is able to change more easily, and the party becomes closer together. Cast: Robbie "Bone Daddy" as Chaddious Vorkeek Thorn as Shade and Teddy Ravyn as Dis Forrest as Ugleo Keys as Quinari Pagemaster Penny as Harrye Illideen as The Story Weaver ______ Some content, ideas, items, etc. are based on or directly used, with permission, from the following content creators: @betterspellcaster @adramastesGM @logan art L.A.W./ @Legion.Artwork LootTavern Plots & Pens ______ Sound effects and intro music partially made with Epidemic Sound https://share.epidemicsound.com/m6bcn6 Like the music? That's thanks to Cameron Stahl, The Hobby Hub and Saturn Imagining production. Check them out here! The Hobby Hub https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIXvQmMZA1UJIig_FjjVpvg

Andrew answers your questions about goalie Ilya Sorokin and other Isles questions.

Join me and special guest, Cassi Mothwin, as we embark on a high-seas adventure with Ironsworn: Sundered Isles. Cassi MothwinInterested in leaving a rating and review, click here.Check out my Patreon or my ko-fi.Game: Ironsworn: Sundered Isles by Shawn TomkinIntro & Outro Music: Steve Morrison

The boys are BACK talking Ducks, Avs, Sens, Isles games, Sweeney's comments, Lindholm, Lohrei, Geekie, Struggles, Movember ++ PLENTY more . Make sure to follow us on twitter @OnlyBruinsPod @DowntownBoosy2 @BrettHoward_ @BobbieBrewski. Follow us on tiktok @onlybruinsFollow us on instagram @OnlyBruins_Follow us on Youtube @OnlybruinspodcastMake sure to check out our Pure hockey link and get the best hockey gear out there! https://alnk.to/bisa9vc

Brodes was at the barn on Tuesday night to cover Flyers Penguins! What a chippy finish. Plus, he talks a bit about win over Isles this past weekend.Kalshi: http://kalshi.com/sign-up?referral=brodesCamden Apothecary - https://camdenapothecary.com/Emilio Cigars: https://cigarsncigars.com/search.phppage=1§ion=product&search_query_adv=Emilio&x=0&y=0Code: BRODES10 for 10% off your purchase! SURGEON GENERAL WARNING: Cigar Smoking Can Cause Cancers of the Mouth and Thoat, Even If You Do Not Inhale Green Lawn Fertilizing: https://www.greenlawnfertilizing.com/lp/brodes?utm_campaign=GLF%20-%20Influencer%20Marketing&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social&utm_term=brodesGreen Lawn Fertilizing: Phone Number: (848) 253-4026

The Islanders suddenly have a winning record after rattling off additional W's over the Sharks & Wings before dropping a shootout to the Flyers on the road. Now on a 5-game point streak, the Isles look to build off the turnaround and find their identity in this still young season. Sean & Arthur discuss all things Isles including the impressive debut of Long Island's own Marshall Warren.Production Note: Unfortunately, we had to cut our interview with Mike Rupp due to technical difficulties, but we hope to have him back on the program soon.Follow HNiNY on all social media platforms at @hockeynightnySponsored by Nok HockeySponsored by Raiser, Kenniff, & Lonstein Attorneys at LawRecorded at Floored MediaSubscribe to our friends at IslesFix newsletter!

"From the Pressbox" airs every Monday 9am - 10am on 90.3FM WHPC in Gardn City New York.  Streaming at www.nccradio.org.  Tihs week Rob and Tim remember Nick Mangold, talk about the Jets and Giants and the FBI investigating gambling and the NBA (though not betting on the games)

A topic too great to be contained to a single episode, the deep-dive into Cosmere dragons continues! It's time for all the things we didn't get to in the first episode, as the cast gets progressively more manic the longer this marathon recording continues. Today's cast includes Eric (Chaos), Ian (Weiry), Evgeni (Argent) and Bonnie (Cosmeregirl) Thumbnail art is art of the Spirit Shores, by Esther Hiʻilani Candari: https://coppermind.net/wiki/Isles_of_the_Emberdark/Interior_art#/media/File:Iote_spirit_shores.jpg 0:00:00 Intro/Show and Tell 0:03:50 Dragon Magic and Tech 1:00:45 Dragon Culture 1:22:22 The Spirit Shores 1:35:08 Cultivation 1:42:15 Lesser Dragons 1:49:57 WTCC 2:00:15 Outro If you like our content, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/17thshard Purchase merch here! https://store.17thshard.com/ For discussion, theories, games, and news, come to https://www.17thshard.com Come talk with us and the community on the 17th Shard Discord: https://discord.gg/17thshard Want to learn more about the cosmere and more? The Coppermind Wiki is where it's at: https://coppermind.net Read all Words of Brandon on Arcanum: https://wob.coppermind.net Subscribe to Shardcast: http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:102123174/sounds.rss Send your Who's That Cosmere Characters to wtcc@17thshard.com

0:00 Intro2:40 Reach25:36 Titan Isles39:24 World War Z VR44:08 Hitman PCVR Update51:10 Unseen Diplomacy 257:25 X-Arcade 2TV-XR & Pinball FX VR1:06:51 Chernobyl Again1:10:15 Walkabout Forgotten Fairyland1:11:21 Steam Next Fest Demos1:31:35 Meta Hyperscape Preview & Capture1:39:04 Upcoming GamesJustin's YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/mamefanAlex's YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/virtualinsiderNick's YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/BuffaloPinballVR Gaming Podcast on YT: www.youtube.com/@vrgamingpodcastVR Gaming Podcast Discord link: https://discord.gg/Kbg44ADPD2Justin's email: mamefanyt@gmail.comIf you'd like to donate, Paypal: https://paypal.me/mamefanVenmo: @Justin-Davis-1030

Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee look back on Dustin Wolf's post-game comments calling out his team after the Flames' overtime loss to the Canadiens. Then, Islanders GM Mathieu Darche joins the show (12:34) to discuss his early impressions of first overall pick Matthew Schaefer, his transition to GM, succeeding Lou Lamoriello, and how the Isles take the next step towards contention. Later, Nick, Justin and Sam discuss whether the Flames should tank this season, if the Canadiens' strong start is sustainable, and who the Habs might target in the trade market.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

The San Jose Sharks have started another season on a long losing streak: Is head coach Ryan Warsofsky facing some pressure? San Jose Sharks legend Dan Boyle, insider Sheng Peng, prospects guru Keegan McNally, and Sharks Ice beer league champ Zubair Jeewanjee discuss the team's 0-4-2 start. We discuss Warsofsky's work with the San Jose Sharks' veterans and youngsters. Is Macklin Celebrini rounding into form? What do we think about Michael Misa and Sam Dickinson so far? Hockey tactics guru Jack Han jumps on, and shares his thoughts about the importance of coaching continuity and the dangers of rushing young defensemen. (00:00:00) Intro – San Jose Sharks' losing streak & podcast setup (00:00:47) Bring Hockey Back mention & show open (00:02:09) Dan Boyle joins wearing a mask – “Chuckles” bit (00:02:56) Team bonding & Broadway talk – Book of Mormon (00:06:17) Boyle's parents and “Puppetry of the Penis” story (00:08:03) Keegan's New York City engagement story (00:14:21) Sheng's NYC subway make-out story & third-rail near-death (00:17:21) Pivot to Sharks hockey – Ty Dellandrea prank story (00:20:53) Boyle's road roommate stories – Joe Thornton & Jason Demers (00:23:03) “Let's talk Sharks hockey” – the Warsofsky quote segment (00:23:28) Warsofsky's “sacrifice my kid” joke goes viral (00:25:08) Boyle's John Tortorella “Shut your yap” anecdote (00:27:00) Sharks' first real win-worthy games – Isles & Pens recap (00:28:02) Celebrini's compete level & captain talk (00:29:16) Boyle on letting Celebrini make mistakes & self-awareness (00:33:50) Boyle & Sheng discuss mental side of losing (00:35:57) Boyle on player accountability and motivation (00:37:52) Discussion: Is Warsofsky's seat getting warm? (00:43:06) Boyle on GM check-ins with players about the coach (00:48:44) Sharks' young D: Misa & Dickinson analysis (00:56:27) Goalie rotation debate – Askarov, consistency, and confidence (01:00:06) Defense talk: D-pairs, Orlov praise and toughness (01:02:01) Segue to Jack Han segment (01:03:09) Intro – Jack Han joins, ex-Marlies coach & author (01:04:11) Han on continuity, rebuilds, and coaching patience (01:05:46) Why firing coaches too early ruins rebuilds (01:07:00) Player accountability & psychology in development (01:09:02) Han compares Sharks' situation to Montreal's growth (01:13:05) What the Sharks lack tactically: pressure & structure (01:17:04) Keegan: Sharks' defensive stagnation & lack of identity (01:18:01) Sheng: dangers of rushing young D like Dickinson (01:19:01) Jack Han: mental readiness and the “middle schooler in high school” analogy (01:22:19) Han: firing Warsofsky would be just short-term relief (01:23:08) Fan question: how to watch hockey better? (01:25:09) Carolina's man-to-man defense explained (01:26:15) Why no pure man-to-man team wins the Cup (01:27:01) Han's message to junior parents & coaches – send questions! (01:30:02) Keegan & Sheng final segment – Dickinson, Misa, Graf recap (01:32:13) Dickinson's learning curve & confidence talk (01:33:46) Should Dickinson stay in NHL or go back to juniors? (01:35:27) Prospects philosophy & patience (01:36:31) Misa's first point and Schaefer envy (01:38:48) Draft philosophy: Dickinson vs. Buium debate (01:39:41) Prospect Corner – McKenna, Verhoeff, and 2026 Draft talk (01:41:03) Prediction: Sharks beat Rangers for first win (01:42:23) Wrap-up & sign-off Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Islanders are in the win column after following up an 0-3 start with back-to-back wins over the Oilers and the Senators. Sean & Arthur recap the journey, put a spotlight on Sorokin's play so far, look ahead at the games to come and more!Follow HNiNY on all social media platforms at @hockeynightnySponsored by Nok HockeySponsored by Raiser, Kenniff, & Lonstein Attorneys at LawRecorded at Floored MediaSubscribe to our friends at IslesFix newsletter!

https://youtu.be/l9v_iI3Hjoc The First Resurrection belongs to those who reign with Yahusha.The Second Death is the final end for the wicked.There is no in-between — no confusion — only truth restored. Dive deeper into the full study here: Blog: The Smoking Quill – “The First Resurrection & The Second Death”thegodculturephilippines.comWhat stood out to you most about Revelation 20?Do you see how the First Resurrection and Second Death complete the same prophetic day?Let's awaken the Isles together. #TheGodCulture #Yahuah #Yahusha #Revelation20 #EndTimes #TheSmokingQuillSupport the show

Neil Best joins Andrew to discuss how Isles' No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer has started so far.

A multimedia installation which explores the role of beavers on an estate in Perthshire is part of this year's soundfestival in the north east. Rachel joins composer and musician Dave Maric to learn more about Silent Architects.Mark takes a stroll in Falkirk with writer Rebecca Smith to appreciate the beauty of larch trees and new techniques to protect them.One of Shetland's small outer Isles recently saw the first working tractor in over thirty years tend to the land. Eva Runciman meets Ethan Arthur, who grew up in Skerries, to find out how an old Massey Ferguson left its shed and was put to work on wildlife crop.Mark meets conservationist Roy Dennis at an innovative project in Moray, where the introduction of highland cows could be helping to restore Scotland's capercaillie population.Rachel meets gardeners Mark Armour and Euan Shelley to find out about the unusual pumpkin varieties at The National Trust for Scotland's Hill of Tarvit in Fife.Mark is in Glasgow to explore Hamiltonhill Claypits, an inner-city Local Nature Reserve. The Reserve's Julieanne Levett, Bob Alston and Scott Milligan explain the benefits to local communities.A new book reveals results of a major archaeological project at Finlaggan, the site of a medieval kingdom's centre of power. Mark and Rachel are joined by author of The Archaeology of Finlaggan, Islay, Dr David Caldwell.Rachel is off to Tamala Farm in Aberdeenshire to try her hand at tattie howking and to catch a glimpse of harvest life before machinery took over.Mark checks out the ‘The Air We Breathe' exhibition in Glasgow. Ingrid Shearer, Heritage Engagement Manager at Glasgow Building Preservation Trust, shares the history of Glasgow's air quality and just how far the city has come.

Sean & Arthur took a deep dive into the Islanders line combinations, D-pairings, special teams, and more! They also shine a spotlight on Patrick Roy to gauge what to expect from him this season and just how long a leash he may have under Mathieu Darche.Follow HNiNY on all social media platforms at @hockeynightnySponsored by Nok HockeySponsored by Raiser, Kenniff, & Lonstein Attorneys at LawRecorded at Floored MediaSubscribe to our friends at IslesFix newsletter!

The Athletic's Josh Yohe: Undefeated Pittsburgh Penguins Host Matthew Shaefer and the Isles 10/09/25Joined today by The Athletic's Josh Yohe, Jordan DeFigio and Jeff Taylor are back for a Thursday afternoon, Penguins-Home-Opener edition of Fly Penguins Fly Podcast.Will the Penguins build on Tuesday night's defensive clinic of a victory over the Rangers, or will they revert to what Pens fans have come to know as ‘the NEW Penguins Hockey' aka let the Islanders come into PPG Paints Arena and spoil the home opener?Josh Yohe shares a story involving Sidney Crosby and Ben Kindel that we think you'll love, plus the panel imagines a scenario in which the Pittsburgh Penguins overachieve and make the playoffs: Hey, why not dream? Yeah, yeah, we know. Josh Yohe doesn't drink coffee. But don't let that dissuade you from enjoying a delicious cup of Espresso A Mano's Ardi Ethiopia roast, available weekly at EAM's brick and mortar cafes. Very special thanks to Espresso A Mano, Pittsburgh's finest coffee roasters and cafe, for partnering with Fly Penguins Fly podcast. Visit an Espresso A Mano location near you:https://espressoamano.com/Thank you for listening!! Follow the podcast on X/Twitter: @penspodJeff Taylor: @penspod_JT // Jordan DeFigio: @fidgenewtonLETS GO PENS.JEFF TAYLOR + JORDAN DEFIGIOFly Penguins Fly Podcast is produced by Jeff TaylorOriginal theme and outro music composed and recorded by Jeff TaylorMark Guiliana played drums, Ashley Taylor sang.Interested in becoming a sponsor of the podcast?Email the Fly Penguins Fly Podcast at: penspod@gmail.comShane Taylor designed and delivered our artwork.Hire Shane for your own design work: shanetaylordesigns@gmail.comThis episode includes portions of the following musical selections:Kid Kodi by Blue Dot SessionsHardboil by Blue Dot Sessions

We have arrived and the new season is upon us. Not only is it a new era for the New York Islanders, but it's also a new chapter for Hockey Night in New York as we welcome Arthur Staple as our new co-host! Arthur will sit down with Sean Cuthbert throughout the season to cover all the big moments, storylines, and results from the Islanders campaign.This week Sean & Arthur dive into the team's new makeup from the front office down, make observations on training camp, and provide an outlook for the season to come. So, strap in and get ready for a fun season of Islanders hockey with Hockey Night in New York!Follow HNiNY on all social media platforms at @hockeynightnySponsored by Nok HockeySponsored by Raiser, Kenniff, & Lonstein Attorneys at LawRecorded at Floored MediaSubscribe to our friends at IslesFix newsletter!

BGMania B-Sides #33 of BGMania: A Video Game Music Podcast. Today on the show, Bedroth explores the epic and evocative soundtrack of Hades II, the critically acclaimed roguelike from Supergiant Games. Perfect for a B-Sides in October! The haunting score serves as the perfect backdrop for Melinoë's journey through the Underworld and beyond, featuring an incredible collection of tracks that blend orchestral grandeur with intimate vocal performances. Composed by Darren Korb and Austin Wintory, the music captures the mythological weight and emotional depth at the heart of this Greek epic. Email the show at bgmaniapodcast@gmail.com with requests for upcoming episodes, questions, feedback, comments, concerns, or any other thoughts you'd like to share! Special thanks to our Executive Producers: Jexak, Xancu, Jeff & Mike. EPISODE PLAYLIST AND CREDITS The Crossroads from Hades II [Darren Korb, 2025] Sightless Shepherd from Hades II [Darren Korb feat. Sam Gendel, 2025] Song of the Isles from Hades II [Darren Korb feat. Erin Yvette, Ashley Barrett & Judy Alice Lee, 2025] Rock and a Hard Place from Hades II [Darren Korb feat. Erin Yvette, Ashley Barrett & Judy Alice Lee, 2025] Mountain of the Gods from Hades II [Darren Korb & Austin Wintory, 2025] Olympus Aflame from Hades II [Darren Korb & Austin Wintory, 2025] Lap of Luxury from Hades II [Darren Korb feat. Kristin Naigus, 2025] Fated Glory from Hades II [Darren Korb feat. Colin Ryan, 2025] The End of Time from Hades II [Darren Korb feat. Louis Cole, 2025] Time Belongs to Us from Hades II [Darren Korb feat. Colin Ryan & Ashley Barrett, 2025] LINKS Patreon: https://patreon.com/bgmania Website: https://bgmania.podbean.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/cC73Heu Facebook: BGManiaPodcast X: BGManiaPodcast Instagram: BGManiaPodcast TikTok: BGManiaPodcast YouTube: BGManiaPodcast Twitch: BGManiaPodcast PODCAST NETWORK Very Good Music: A VGM Podcast Listening Religiously

Show notes provided by Joe PelusoBack at the Mint Sports Desk with another NHL team preview, Chris and Joe take to the ice for the lowdown of the 2025/2026 New York Islanders season. Who's back, who's gone, free agents, the dreaded IL, the schedule, and chances for making the postseason are all covered once again with meticulous precision and proficiency by our master netminder, Chris.   Even Joe (lunatic Rangers fan that he is) respects and admires Long Island's hockey team for its rich, record setting history of play in the NHL. And so from Long Island City to the Montauk Point Lighthouse join us for this loooong Isles preview.  Oh, if you're headed to the game, give yourself some extra time that Long Island Expressway is a bear.

Join Me In The North Atlantic at the Faroe Islands Show Notes Thank you to Dánial for entering the whiskey ring!  If you haven't joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so at patreon.com/whiskeyinmyweddingring. If you haven't yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram and Facebook. Faer Isles Distillery Faer Isles Distillery Website Faer Isles Distillery Facebook Faer Isles Distillery Instagram Faer Isles Distillery LinkedIn Faer Isles Distillery YouTube

Andrew Gross and Colin Stephenson discuss the state of the Islanders as the preseason nears an end, plus thoughts on the rest of the NHL.

The segment explores different endpoints of the Viking Age. 1066 AD is often cited, but this is Anglocentric. That year saw Harald Hardrada, King of Norway (whose claim descended from Cnut's North Sea Empire), killed by Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. Normans (Northmen) like William were culturally assimilated Vikings, meaning Vikings were effectively fighting Vikings. A later ending point is the 1263 AD Battle of Largs, a series of skirmishes between King Hákon of Norway and King Alexander III of Scotland over control of the Norse-inflected Western Isles. Hákon's subsequent death in Orkney led to Norwayrelinquishing the Isles to Scotland. 1893 

Academy Award winner Aaron Sorkin's follow-up to “The Social Network,” now officially titled “The Social Reckoning,” will hit theaters on Oct. 9, 2026, Sony Pictures announced Friday. The contentious demise of a throuple resulted in the arrest of a female member of the polygamous trio, police report. Responding to a 10 PM domestic disturbance call, police in Summerfield, Florida encountered Devon Driscoll, 26, who “advised she wants her ex-boyfriend and ex-girlfriend to get kicked out of the house.” Two men have been arrested after a fight over a Netflix account ended with gunfire. Brian Travis Reynolds, 19, and Anthony Constante, 19, were taken into custody this week in connection with an incident outside a home on Calle Briseno, according to the Bexar County Sheriff's Office. A content creator has completed a "ridiculous journey" to the Isles of Scilly in a bath. YouTuber Max Fosh travelled across the sea from Sennen Cove in Cornwall to Hugh Town. The adventure took place on Wednesday, with a number of islanders greeting the content creator at the finish line. FOLLOW TNR ON RUMBLE: https://rumble.com/c/c-7759604 FOLLOW TNR ON SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/7zlofzLZht7dYxjNcBNpWN FOLLOW TNR ON APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-next-round/id1797862560 WEBSITE: https://nextroundlive.com/ MOBILE APP: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-next-round/id1580807480 SHOP THE NEXT ROUND STORE: https://nextround.store/ Like TNR on Facebook: / nextroundlive Follow TNR on Twitter: / nextroundlive Follow TNR on Instagram: / nextroundlive Follow everyone from the show on Twitter: Jim Dunaway: / jimdunaway Ryan Brown: / ryanbrownlive Lance Taylor: / thelancetaylor Scott Forester: / scottforestertv Tyler Johns: /TylerJohnsTNR Sponsor the show: sales@nextroundlive.com #SEC #Alabama #Auburn #secfootball #collegefootball #cfb #cfp #football #sports #alabamafootball #alabamabasketball #auburnbasketball #auburnfootball #rolltide #wareagle #alabamacrimsontide #auburntigers #nfl #sportsnews #footballnews Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send us a textJoin me and special guest, Fiona Howat, as we embark on a high-seas adventure with Ironsworn: Sundered Isles. Fiona K.T. HowatInterested in leaving a rating and review, click here.Check out my Patreon or my ko-fi.Game: Ironsworn: Sundered Isles by Shawn TomkinIntro & Outro Music: Steve Morrison

Flyers Training Camp is a week in, and the boys will talk about it. A couple of the players have talked about the different style Tocchet's Camp is, tune in to find out what was said and by who. Preseason games are underway as well, and the guys will discuss the game against the Isles and update as they can in the game against the Canadiens. Don't miss the conversation. Be sure to drop your comments in the chat and be a part of the show! Make sure you hit that like and subscribe wherever you watch or listen to Flyers Talk A2D!Like, Comment, and Subscribe for more!/ a2dradio  Facebook:   / a2dradio  Instagram:   / a2dradio  X:   / a2dradio  Website: http://a2dradio.com/_______________Thank you for your support!

An immersive journey into the author's lifelong attachment to video games, revealing how they shape us, shatter us, and give us the courage to start again Of Floating Isles: On Growing Pains and Video Games (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2025) is a captivating collection of personal essays that unpack the mystifying and often intimate roles that video games play in our lives. Interweaving memoir with cultural critique, Kawika Guillermo explores the subtle yet transformative influences of video games in shaping them as a queer and mixed-race grandson of two preachers; as a traveller, immigrant, and games scholar; and as a father, caregiver, and mourner. Through a mixture of fanciful musing, rigorous inquiry, and unflinching self-reflection, Of Floating Isles reframes the gamer's retreat from others not as social isolation, but as a quest for a different community, one where they feel seen, heard, and understood. This deep-seated longing to belong, Guillermo suggests, forms the imaginative worlds of video games and the floating isles they conjure. By exploring their own lifelong attachment to video games, Guillermo shows how games can spark rage, confusion, and the desire to escape, but these emotions are not necessarily bad - they are the growing pains that many young people must work through. So too can games provide reflective realms to dwell, to imagine, and to build spaces for queer, trans, racialized, and neurodiverse groups. Envisioning games as forms of poetic interaction, Of Floating Isles boldly conveys their truth-telling powers: their ability to offer guidance in times of loss and hardship, and their power to reveal the oppressive mechanisms of our "real" world. Rudolf Thomas Inderst (*1978) enjoys video games since 1985. He received a master's degree in political science, American cultural studies as well as contemporary and recent history from Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich and holds two PhDs in game studies (LMU & University of Passau). Currently, he's teaching as a professor for game design and game studies at the HNU University of Applied Sciences Neu-Ulm, Germany, has submitted his third dissertation at the University of Vechta, holds the position as lead editor at the online journal Titel kulturmagazin for the game section, hosts the German local radio show Replay Value and is editor of the weekly game research newsletter DiGRA D-A-CH Game Studies Watchlist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

An immersive journey into the author's lifelong attachment to video games, revealing how they shape us, shatter us, and give us the courage to start again Of Floating Isles: On Growing Pains and Video Games (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2025) is a captivating collection of personal essays that unpack the mystifying and often intimate roles that video games play in our lives. Interweaving memoir with cultural critique, Kawika Guillermo explores the subtle yet transformative influences of video games in shaping them as a queer and mixed-race grandson of two preachers; as a traveller, immigrant, and games scholar; and as a father, caregiver, and mourner. Through a mixture of fanciful musing, rigorous inquiry, and unflinching self-reflection, Of Floating Isles reframes the gamer's retreat from others not as social isolation, but as a quest for a different community, one where they feel seen, heard, and understood. This deep-seated longing to belong, Guillermo suggests, forms the imaginative worlds of video games and the floating isles they conjure. By exploring their own lifelong attachment to video games, Guillermo shows how games can spark rage, confusion, and the desire to escape, but these emotions are not necessarily bad - they are the growing pains that many young people must work through. So too can games provide reflective realms to dwell, to imagine, and to build spaces for queer, trans, racialized, and neurodiverse groups. Envisioning games as forms of poetic interaction, Of Floating Isles boldly conveys their truth-telling powers: their ability to offer guidance in times of loss and hardship, and their power to reveal the oppressive mechanisms of our "real" world. Rudolf Thomas Inderst (*1978) enjoys video games since 1985. He received a master's degree in political science, American cultural studies as well as contemporary and recent history from Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich and holds two PhDs in game studies (LMU & University of Passau). Currently, he's teaching as a professor for game design and game studies at the HNU University of Applied Sciences Neu-Ulm, Germany, has submitted his third dissertation at the University of Vechta, holds the position as lead editor at the online journal Titel kulturmagazin for the game section, hosts the German local radio show Replay Value and is editor of the weekly game research newsletter DiGRA D-A-CH Game Studies Watchlist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/popular-culture

Solve crimes with the great detective in "Sherlock Holmes Short Stories." Featuring classic tales by Arthur Conan Doyle, this podcast brings you the brilliant deductions and thrilling adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Whether you're a longtime fan or new to the world of Holmes, these timeless mysteries will keep you captivated.

We travel westward to visit the islands of Snowdown and Alaron! DnD Lorecast Discord | DnD Lorecast t-shirts, stickers and more! Pre-Order Lore TA Shaun's Alien novel, PERFECT ORGANISMS First Look at Lore TA Shaun's next book, the first ever Solomon Kane novel Unearthed Arcana: Arcane Updates Homebrew Corner: Snowdown Infiltration Links: Lore TA Shaun's second novel, The Dissonance, is out NOW Pantheon/PRH! Buy it ANYWHERE books are sold! And pick up Shaun's Conan the Barbarian ebook short story, also available now! The 616 Files - Shaun and Sergio's OTHER nerdy podcast! A deep dive into the 616 Marvel Universe, comic by comic, year by year Fandom University - And yet ANOTHER nerdy podcast! Multi-episodes arcs deep-diving into various nerdy topics *SEASON 1 NOW COMPLETE* Check out all the socials at dndlorecast.com And send us a note! Email us at dndlorecast@gmail.com  ROBOTSRADIO.net - Smart Shows for Interesting People. Explore all the awesome shows on the network. Robots Radio Network Discord: discord.gg/JXKfVhM Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brooke and Tyler are done hidin', now we're shinin' like we're born to be...talking about one of the most mystical group of voyagers in the Cosmere. We look at Dyel's interlude from Wind and Truth and investigate her visitors from the 17th Shard, the mighty Cusicesh, and the history of the Iriali's Long Trail. #AllSpoilers Warning: This episode contains minor spoilers about Isles of the Emberdark. Not major plot points but aspects of the broader Cosmere. Support this podcast by becoming a Patron on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/CosmereConversations) Original music by David Gruwier (https://twitter.com/DGruwier). "Radiant" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5CFAZUv4C0) by David Gruwier.

 GRAMMY® Award Winning Trumpeter- Elite Poet & Lyrist " & Grammy Nom TributeWhen acclaimed actor Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther, 42, Get On Up) passed away in August 2020, it inspired Niles to create a tribute verse about him that he released online, resulting in resounding praise. Grammy-winning trumpeter and producer, ​Nabaté Isles​ contacted his friend, Niles and suggested that they make a full record about Chadwick and the rest was history. When “Niles & Nabaté” linked, they needed a powerful singer and they knew just who to contact, an amazing Detroit vocalist named Beth Griffith-Manley. Beth has toured for years with Anita Baker and Kem, recorded on projects with Yolanda Adams and was featured on NBC's “The Voice”. Beth was delighted to be featured because, like Niles & Nabaté, she has a tremendous respect for Chadwick Boseman and his legacy.The record is a great song with a sound that is reminiscent of the classic Hip-Hop with a soulful-pop undertone fusing African percussion, giving it a tribal and organic essence. This sonic cornucopia makes it a timeless piece of musical art. As the song reflects on Chadwick Boseman's resonating impact on the world, it is sure to make a contribution to keeping Chadwick Boseman's legacy alive forever.“Super Hero: Ode To Chadwick Boseman” is on Bandcamp, Amazon, Spotify, Youtube Music, and many more digital music platforms. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Chadwick Boseman Charitable Fund For The Arts.© 2025 Building Abundant Success!!2025 All Rights ReservedJoin Me on ~ iHeart Media @ https://tinyurl.com/iHeartBASSpot Me on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yxuy23baAmazon Music ~ https://tinyurl.com/AmzBASAudacy:  https://tinyurl.com/BASAud

Use code RUFFTALKVR at checkout to save on any game or hardware on the Meta Quest store and help support the show!On this episode of the Ruff Talk VR podcast we are joined by Jon Hibbins, CEO and founder of Psytec Games, to talk all about their upcoming VR game Titan Isles - launching on Meta Quest and Steam VR on September 25th! Listen as we get to know Jon, some of his past work in VR, Titan Isles, and more!Showcase form: https://forms.gle/HxwkK9zuwydwbkKM8Big thank you to all of our Patreon supporters! Become a supporter of the show today at https://www.patreon.com/rufftalkvrDiscord: https://discord.gg/9JTdCccucSPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/rufftalkvrIf you enjoy the podcast be sure to rate us 5 stars and subscribe!Store Link: https://www.meta.com/experiences/titan-isles/8332853930089963Store Description: BATTLE TITANS - WITH FRIENDS OR ALONESet on the broken world of Toska, shattered to ruins by the mysterious awakening of giant Titans, you - the player, are cast into an epic struggle for survival and revenge.USE POWERFUL EXO SUITSBefore launching into each mission, you'll choose from one of four Exo Suits, each providing it's own unique traversal equipment and weapons.PLAY ALONE OR WITH FRIENDSThe full game can be enjoyed as a single player campaign or you can invite your friends in up-to 4-player co-op.UNCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE TITANSIt's up to you and your team to locate and defeat the Titans, along the way you'll uncover the motivations and secrets behind the existence of the Titans and their destructive attack on the world of Toska.TRAVERSE A PLETHORA OF ENVIRONMENTSAs you progress, you'll discover the many different biomes that together, form the vibrant world of Titan Isles.Send us a text to the Ruff Talk VR fan mail line!Support the show

Let's sail the seas of sleep with more from this volume about the history of our oceans. This time, the Age of Exploration south and north, the mythical Isles of the Blessed, Magellan's remarkable voyage, and how America really got its name. Hint, it was easy to pronounce.   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read “The Book of the Ocean” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/56311   Music: "Ocean Tapping,” by PC III, licensed under CC BY   If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading for soft-spoken relaxation to help you overcome insomnia, anxiety and other sleep issues, connect on our website, https://www.boringbookspod.com.

On this episode of the Ruff Talk VR podcast we are kicking off the week strong talking all the latest VR news! We have a loaded agenda ahead of us including some thoughts on Titan Isles, some accidentally leaked Meta Quest wishlist numbers, some Valve rumors with "Steam Frame", upcoming VR games such as Vex Mage and A Long Survive, newly announced games such as Falcon Fall, Surviving Mars: Pioneer's full launch and PSVR2 release date, and much more!Showcase form: https://forms.gle/HxwkK9zuwydwbkKM8Big thank you to all of our Patreon supporters! Become a supporter of the show today at https://www.patreon.com/rufftalkvrDiscord: https://discord.gg/9JTdCccucSPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/rufftalkvrIf you enjoy the podcast be sure to rate us 5 stars and subscribe! Join our official subreddit at https://www.reddit.com/r/RuffTalkVR/0:00 - Episode start0:45 - Titan Isles16:20 - Meta Smart Glasses SDK23:50 - Meta Quest top waitlisted upcoming VR games32:00 - Beat Saber PSVR2 charts37:10 - Vex Mage release date39:20 - Surviving Mars: Pioneer full release and PSVR2 release date44:50 - 2 millions Bonelab users46:50 - Underdogs PSVR2 sales50:30 - Steam Frame56:00 - Synth Riders Kendrick Lamar58:30 - Falcon Fall1:03:30 - A Long Survive1:07:05 - Drakkenridge1:08:30 - Upcoming VR GamesSend us a text to the Ruff Talk VR fan mail line!Support the show

This week on Ron's Amazing Stories, we're celebrating Labor Day with a special double feature. Our first tale comes from the series Escape and is titled Conquerer's Isle. Three Navy flyers, lost in the South China Sea, discover a secret underground civilization that sees them as little more than pets. It's a strange mix of survival, science fiction, and a chilling vision of humanity's “next stage.” Then, we turn from fantasy to history with Cavalcade of America's Railroad Builders, which first aired on April 15th, 1936. It honors the men who laid steel tracks across mountains, plains, and rivers—building a pathway that connected a nation. Two very different stories—one imagined, one real—but both remind us of the courage, toil, and spirit of labor. So, fire up the grill, grab a cool drink, and settle in for this Labor Day adventure. Featured Stories: Escape – “Conquerer's Isle” (March 5, 1958) Cavalcade of America – “Railroad Builders” (April 15, 1936) Ron's Amazing Stories Is Sponsored by: Audible - You can get a free audiobook and a 30 day free trial at . Your Stories: Do you have a story that you would like to share on the podcast or the blog? Head to the main website, click on Story Submission, leave your story, give it a title, and please tell me where you're from. I will read it if I can. Links are below. Music Used In This Podcast: Most of the music you hear on Ron's Amazing Stories has been composed by Kevin MacLeod () and is Licensed under . Other pieces are in the public domain. You can find great free music at which is a site owned by Kevin. Program Info: Ron's Amazing Stories is published each Thursday. You can download it from , stream it on or on the mobile version of . Do you prefer the radio? We are heard every Thursday at 10:00 pm and Sunday Night at 11:00 PM (EST) on . Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this . Social Links: Contact Links:

"Kintallia of the Shaman" Episode 02  Written by: Joshua Price and Krystal Camarco Sound Design - Joshua Price Rated - PG for minimal violence While Samantha takes Kintallia to the Shaman forest where she will be safe, Francis advances her wicked plots within the village of Anestrof. Including the voice talents of: Young Kintallia - Alexis Kniker Samantha - Kathryn Leigh Scott High Council leader Mavis - Marie Wallace King Nior - Jeffrey Billard Francis - Rachel Pulliam Nullith - Seth Bramwell Wallers – Dianne Price and Donna Pray Sound Effects obtained from the free sound project or self-produced. This production was produced underneath a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial No Derivative 4.0 International License License: CC-BY-NC-ND https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

ADVENTURES IN THE SILVER ISLES (1) "Kintallia of the Shaman" Episode 03 Written by: Joshua Price and Krystal Camarco Sound Design - Joshua Price Rated - PG for minimal violence During her first training, Kintallia encounters a group of men fighting a dragon, including the young boy she saw in the castle. Meanwhile, Nullith attempts to get the stone Francis has sent him after, from the bottom of a dark lake.   Including the voice talents of: Samantha - Kathryn Leigh Scott Young Kintallia - Alexis Kniker Young Exhanior - Schuyler Whiteford Lumina, great mother dragon - Tanja Milojevic Sound Effects obtained from the free sound project or self-produced. This production was produced underneath a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial No Derivative 4.0 International License License: CC-BY-NC-ND https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Send us a textJoin me and special guest, Rene Legault, as we embark on a high-seas adventure with Ironsworn: Sundered Isles. Rene Plays GamesInterested in leaving a rating and review, click here.Check out my Patreon or my ko-fi.Game: Ironsworn: Sundered Isles by Shawn TomkinIntro & Outro Music: Steve Morrison

Joely and Tricia Leigh Fisher talk about being the kids of stars, Connie Stevens and Eddie Fisher—the allure of show business, putting on shows in their living room, and deciding at a young age to make performing their career. They share stories of being on the road with their mom, the good and bad lessons they learned, going to Beverly Hills High School while living alone across the street, and what it means to inherit both talent and addictive behaviors. They also open up about being moms, singing, dancing, acting, writing, and becoming beauty entrepreneurs. Joely discusses her stint at SAG, while the sisters reflect on their parents' many relationships, trying to connect with a distant father, and moving forward in a new entertainment landscape. And of course, they share their mom's immortal line: “Once you date Elvis, everyone else is a disappointment.”Bio: Joely Fisher is an American actress and singer, the daughter of Eddie Fisher and Connie Stevens. She is best known for her roles as Paige Clark on the TV series Ellen and Joy Stark on 'Til Death. She is also the younger half-sister of the late actress Carrie Fisher. Her career spans television, film, and Broadway, and she is a political activist currently serving as SAG-AFTRA Secretary-Treasurer.Tricia Leigh Fisher is the daughter of legendary crooner Eddie Fisher and iconic actress/singer Connie Stevens. She spent her childhood on sets and in concert venues, then joined the family business as a teenager, playing Burt Reynolds' daughter in the film “Stick.” Tricia has performed on many stages around the world, including entertaining the troops in the Persian Gulf with the legend, Bob Hope and the USO. After years touring as a back up singer, she landed her own deal on ATCO Records and hit the hot 100 billboard charts. She has continued to work, as an actress, in television and film for the past thirty-five years, starring in films such as Book of Love, Pretty Smart, Arizona Dream, Saving Grace B. Jones, Hostile Intentions and CHUD II. Tricia has worked in television for decades, including her role as Heidi in The Heidi Fleiss Story, 911, Criminal Minds, Rizzoli and Isles, The Mentalist, No Ordinary Family, Ellen, Til Death, and many others. A few of her theater roles include a Los Angeles run and tour of Bermuda Avenue Triangle with Joe Bologna, Renee Taylor, and Lainie Kazan and Miracle on South Division Street at the New Theater in Kansas City. Tricia is currently the lead singer of her 70's band with husband, Byron Thames, and plays regularly to sold out shows in Los Angeles.

In December 1900 three lighthouse keepers vanished without a trace from a deserted island in Scotland. To this day no one knows exactly what happened to them. Find out all about this strange situation in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jess here! A while back, Sarina and KJ talked about how much they enjoyed Tess Gerritsen's novel, The Spy Coast, and Sarina reassured KJ she'd enjoy book two of the series even more. I had never read a Tess Gerritsen novel, and while I'd heard her name before and vaguely understood she wrote thrillers, I was starting from square one when I downloaded the audio version of The Spy Coast. Now, I'm not an international spy thriller kind of gal. In the abstract, I understand the allure of books like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy or Six Days of the Condor. Spies! Intrigue! International [almost exclusively men] of mystery! But they have never really floated my proverbial boat. That said, I loved Tess Gerritsen's spies and the world they inhabit. There's a sense of place - nay, a downright LOVE of place - and a retiring, rural New England domesticity that spoke to this retiring, rural New England reader. Book two, The Summer Guests, is even more rooted in Maine, on its history and the social dynamics of its natives and its summer people. Once I tore through those first two books, I went back to Gerritsen's first book, The Surgeon, one of Time Magazine's top 100 thriller/mystery books of all time and the first in the Rizzoli & Isles series, consequently made into a long-running television series. Gerritsen has a fascinating career trajectory, lots to talk about regarding pantsing and plotting, where the ideas come from, and lots of other geeky details about the writing life. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Find Tess at Tessgerritsen.com, or on Bluesky, @TessGerritsen Transcript below!EPISODE 462 - TRANSCRIPTJennie NashHey everyone, it's Jennie Nash, founder and CEO of Author Accelerator, the company I started more than 10 years ago to lead the emerging book coaching industry. In October, we'll be enrolling a new cohort of certification students who will be going through programs in either fiction, nonfiction, or memoir, and learning the editorial, emotional, and entrepreneurial skills that you need to be a successful book coach. If you've been curious about book coaching and thinking that it might be something you want to do for your next career move, I'd love to teach you more about it, you can go to bookcoaches.com/waitlist to check out the free training I have—that's bookcoaches.com/waitlist. The training is all about how to make money, meaning, and joy out of serving writers. Fall is always a great time to start something new. So if you're feeling called to do this, go check out our training and see if this might be right for you. We'd love to have you join us.Multiple SpeakersIs it recording? Now it's recording, yay. Go ahead. This is the part where I stare blankly at the microphone. I don't remember what I'm supposed to be doing. All right, let's start over. Awkward pause. I'm going to rustle some papers. Okay, now—one, two, three.Jess LaheyHey, this is Jess Lahey, and this is the Hashtag AmWriting Podcast. This is the podcast about writing all the things—short things, long things, poetry, prose, narrative nonfiction, fiction, creative nonfiction, queries, proposals. This is the podcast about writing all the things. More than anything else, this is the podcast about the writing life and about getting the work done. I am Jess Lahey. I'm the author of The Gift of Failure and The Addiction Inoculation. And you can find my journalism at The Atlantic and The Washington Post, and my bi-weekly (formerly bi-weekly) column at The New York Times, The Parent-Teacher Conference, ran for about three years I am joined today by Sarina Bowen, who has written 50-odd books. She has written lots and lots of romance, and her most recent addition to the world of publishing has been her thrillers, Dying to Meet You and The Five Year Lie. And she has a book coming out this fall called Thrown for a Loop. The reason I am recording this intro on my own—which, as you may know if you've been listening, is highly unusual for us—is because I know myself. And I know when I'm really excited to talk to someone on the podcast; I'm going to flub the intro. I'm going to forget something. I'm going to forget to introduce them altogether. So today, I'm doing that first, so I don't mess it up. A while ago on the podcast, you may have heard Sarina and KJ read some books by an author named Tess Gerritsen. I had heard of Tess Gerritsen, but I had never read any of her books. I just hadn't yet. I haven't read Nora Roberts yet. I haven't read—there are lots of authors I haven't read yet. And sometimes you don't even know where to start. So when Sarina and KJ recommended Tess Gerritsen's new series set in Maine—the first one being The Spy Coast and the second one being The Summer Guests—I figured I had a good place to start. And you know, as a New Englander, I love a good book about New England, and that was the start of my interest in Tess Gerritsen's work. I have gone back to the beginning and started with her book The Surgeon, which was her first book in the series that became the Rizzoli and Isles Series, as well as a television show. Tess Gerritsen has a—she's written through 33 books at this point. And as I now know, she has also directed a documentary called Magnificent Beast about pigs, which I listened to this morning while I was vacuuming the house. I loved it. She also—she has a lot to say about genre, about publishing, about second careers, about a writing place, and about process. So let's just jump right into it. I am so excited to introduce to you today, Tess Gerritsen. So from the perspective of what our listeners love—this podcast, the Hashtag AmWriting Podcast —is super geek. People who love the nuts and bolts and the dorky details of the writing life. Sarina has a past life in finance, and so she tends to be, like, our “no, but let's talk about the numbers” kind of person. I'm just the research super dork, which is why I spent my morning watching your documentary about pigs.Tess GerritsenOh my god! (Laughing)Jess LaheyMagnificent Beast. I—I've joked in the past that if I could, I would probably just research things in—in, you know, maybe there'll be a book out there, maybe there won't, but I would research things and—and just learn as much as I could. And so I loved—loved—your Magnificent Beast documentary. I thought it was fantastic. But one of the reasons that we wanted to talk to you, just from the very beginning, is that we feel like you do some pretty incredible world-building and relationship-building with your places and your characters. And so I just—I would love to start there, mainly with the idea of starting with the real nuts and bolts stuff, which is, like, what does an average writing day look like for you? And how do you, sort of—how do you set that up? What does it look like, if you have an average writing day? Maybe you don't.Tess GerritsenWell, it's hard to describe an average writing day, because every day is—there are days when you sit at your desk and you just, you know, pull your hair. And there are days when you get distracted by the news. And there are many days when I just do not want to write. But when I'm writing, the good days are when my characters are alive and talking to me. And it's—it's—you talked about world-building and character-building. That is really key to me. What are they saying to me? Can I hear their voices? And it sounds a little—a little crazy, because I am hearing voices. But it's those voices that really make characters come alive.Jess LaheyI—You have said in other interviews that you are very much—sorry to those of you who hate the terms—that you are very much a pantser. And you are sitting on this interview with a consummate plotter. Sarina is our consummate plotter. So could you talk a little bit about how those character—how those voices—influence, you know, the pantsing of the—of the book, and—and how that works for you?Tess GerritsenWell, I mean, it is weird that I am a pantser. And it's funny—I think that people who are plotters tend to be people who are in finance or in law, because they're used to having their ducks lined up, you know. They—they want everything set up ahead of time, and it makes them feel comfortable. And I think a large part of becoming a pantser is learning to be comfortable with unpredictability. Learning to just let things happen, and know you're going to take wrong turns, know you're going to end up in blind alleys—and yet just keep on forging ahead and change direction. So I suppose that what helps me become a pantser, as I said, is hearing a character's voice. If, for instance, when I wrote The Spy Coast, the first thing I heard about that book was Maggie Bird's voice. And she just said, “I'm not the woman I used to be.” And that's an opening there, right? Because you want to find out, Maggie, who did you used to be? And why do you sound so sad? So a lot of it was just—just getting into her head and letting her talk about what a day-to-day life is, which is, you know, raising chickens and collecting eggs and becoming—and being—a farmer. And then she does something surprising in that very first chapter. There's a fox that's killing her chickens, so she grabs her rifle and kills it with one shot. And that opens up another thing, like—how are you, a 62-year-old woman, able to take out a rifle and kill a fox with one shot? So it's—it's those things. It's those revelations of character. When they come out and they tell you something, or they show you they—they have a skill that you weren't aware of, you want to dig deeper and find out, you know, where did they get that skill?Sarina BowenAnd that is a really fun way to show it. I mean, you're talking today with two people who have also kept chickens.Multiple Speakers(All laughing)Jess LaheyAnd had foxes take their chickens, actually.Sarina BowenOh yes, because the two go together.Tess GerritsenYes.Sarina BowenBut yes, I admit I have never shot a fox, and maybe wouldn't.Jess LaheyI have yelled very loudly at a fox, and he actually—I have to say—really mad respect for the fox, because he took one look at me—he did drop the chicken that I was yelling at him for grabbing—and then he went across the street, around the neighbor's house, around the back of the other neighbor's house, and came at the exact same chicken from the other side of the house, where I couldn't see him out the window.Tess GerritsenOh, they are so smart. They are so smart.Jess LaheySo smart. Sarina, it sounded like you had something— you had something you wanted to add, and I interrupted you when we were talking about pantsing and we were talking about world-building and characters speaking to you.Sarina BowenWell, I just had thought that it was a lovely moment to explain why I was so excited to read this book after I heard Tess speak at Thriller Fest 2024, in a packed room where there was nowhere to sit except on the floor. You told the audience a little bit of a story from your real life that—that made you want to write that book. And I wonder if you could tell us what that was, because for me—I mean, we were only five minutes into your talk, and I'm like, oh, I'm—I'm going to download that tonight.Tess GerritsenWell, yes, it was. A lot of my books come from ideas that I've been stewing over for years. I have a folder called the ideas folder. It's an actual physical manila folder. And if I see something in an article or a newspaper or a magazine, I'll just rip it out and stick it in there, and it sometimes takes a long time before I know how to turn this into a book. So the idea for The Spy Coast is a little bit of obscure knowledge that I learned 35 years ago, when I first moved to Maine. My husband is a medical doctor. He opened up a practice, and when he would bring in new patients, he would always get an occupational history. And he used to get this answer—this very strange answer—from his new patients. They would say, “I used to work for the government, but I can't talk about it.” And after he heard that three times, he thought, what town did we land in? And who are these people? And we later found out that on our very short street, on one side of us was a retired OSS person, and on the other side was retired CIA. A realtor told us that our town was full of CIA retirees. So, I mean, of course you want to ask, why did they get here? What are they doing here? What are their lives like? I knew there was a book in there, but I didn't know what that book was. I needed 35 years to come up with the idea. And what I really needed to do was become old and—and realize that as you get older, especially women, we become invisible. People don't pay attention to us. We are over the hill. You know, everybody looks at the young, pretty chicks, but once you start getting gray hair, you fade into the background. And with that experience myself; I began to think more and more about what it's like to be retired. What is it like to be retired from a job that was maybe dangerous, or exciting, or something that you really risked your life to—to achieve? So that was—that was the beginning of The Spy Coast. What happens to CIA retirees—especially women—who are now invisible? But that makes them the best spies of all.Jess LaheyYeah, and we have—we did this really cool thing, this really fun thing for us on the Hashtag AmWriting Podcast. It's like a supporter-only thing, where we call First Pages, where very brave authors—very brave writers—submit their first page to us, and we talk about it and decide whether or not we'd want to turn the page. And you have an incredible skill on your first pages. You're very, very good at first pages. And I was thinking about The Summer Guests, that you had this wonderful line that I'm going to read now:Purity, Maine, 1972. On the last day of his life, Purity police officer Randy Pelletier ordered a blueberry muffin and a cup of coffee at the Marigold Café,Which immediately reminded me of my very, very favorite line from all of literature—my very favorite first line—which is Irving's first line from A Prayer for Owen Meany, in which he ruins the story for you right there in the first line:I am doomed to remember a boy with a wrecked voice—not because of his voice, or because he was the smallest person I ever knew, or even because he was the instrument of my mother's death, but because he is the reason I believe in God.There is this incredible power to first lines. And I'm sort of wondering where—how first lines happen for you. Do they happen first? Do they happen last? Do they happen along the way?Tess GerritsenFirst lines usually happen last. I—it's—I will write the whole book, and I'll think, something's missing in that first chapter. How do I open this up? And, you know, there are things that make lines immediately hypnotic, and one of those things is an inherent contradiction—something that makes you think, wait, okay, you start off this way, but then all of a sudden, the meaning of that line switches. So, yeah, it starts off with, you know, this guy's going to die. But on that last day of his life, he does something very ordinary. He just orders coffee at the local café. So I think it's that contradiction that makes us want to read more. It's also a way to end chapters. I think that—that if you leave your reader with a sense of unease—something is about to go wrong, but they don't know what it is yet—or leave them with an unanswered question, or leave them with, as I said, a contradiction—that is what's page-turning. I think that a lot of thriller writers in particular mistake action for—for being—for being interesting. A car chase on the page is really very boring. But what's interesting is something that—you could feel that tension building, but you don't know why.Sarina BowenI have joked sometimes that when I get stuck on a plot, sometimes I will talk at my husband and—and say, “you know, I'm stuck here.” And he always says, “And then a giant squid attacked.” And it—of course I don't write books that take place where this is possible, so—but it never fails to remind me that, like, external action can sometimes be just, you know, totally pointless. And that if you're stuck, it's because one of your dominoes isn't leaning, you know, in the right spot. So...Tess GerritsenYeah, it's—it's not as much fun seeing that domino fall as seeing it go slowly tilting over. You know, I really learned this when I was watching a James Bond movie. And it starts off—you know, the usual James Bonds have their cold open to those action and chasing and death-defying acts. I found that—I find that really, in that movie anyway—I was like, Ho hum. Can we get to the story? And I found the time when I was leaning forward in my theater seat, watching every moment, was really a very quiet conversation aboard a train between him and this woman who was going to become his lover. That was fascinating to me. So I think that that transfers to book writing as well. Action is boring.Jess LaheyYou and Sarina do something that I feel, as a writer; I would probably not be very good at, which is creating that unease. I—Sarina in particular does this thing... I've read every one of Sarina's books, as a good friend is supposed to do. And I text her, and I say, Why don't they just talk about it and just deal? Get it out in the open! And she's like, you know, we just got to make these people uncomfortable. And you both have this incredible talent for helping—keeping the reader, uh, along with you, simply because there is this sense of unease. We're slightly off-kilter the whole time. And yet in me, as a people pleaser, that makes me very uncomfortable. I want people to be happy with each other. So how do you—if you get to a place where you feel like maybe things aren't off-kilter enough, or things aren't off-balance enough—how do you introduce a little bit of unease into your—into your story?Tess GerritsenWell, I think it comes down to very small points of conflict—little bits of tension. Like, we call it micro-tension. And I think those occur in everyday life all the time. For instance, you know, things that happen that really don't have any big consequence, but are still irritating. We will stew about those for—for a while. And, you know, I used to write romance as well, so I understand entirely what Sarina is doing, because romance is really about courtship and conflict. And it's the conflict that makes us keep reading. We just—we know this is the courtship. So there's always that sense of it's not quite there, because once the characters are happy, the story is over, right?Sarina BowenYeah.Multiple Speakers(All laughing)Sarina BowenAlso, writing the ends of romance novels is the least interesting part. Like, what...? Once the conflict is resolved, like, I cannot wait to get out of there.Tess GerritsenRight, exactly. You know, I—I pay attention to my feelings when I'm reading a book, and I've noticed that the books that I remember are not the books with happy endings, because happiness is so fleeting. You know, you can be happy one second, and then something terrible will happen. You'll be unhappy. What lasts for us is sadness, or the sense of bittersweet. So when I read a book that ends with a bittersweet ending—such as, you know, Larry McMurtry Lonesome Dove—I ended up crying at the end of that book, and I have never forgotten that ending. Now, if everybody had been happy and there had been nobody to drag all those miles at the end, I would have forgotten that book very quickly. So I think—I try—I always try to leave the end of the book either bittersweet—I mean, you want to resolve all the major plot points—but also leave that sense of unease, because people remember that. And it also helps you, if you have a sequel.Sarina BowenThat's so interesting you've just brought up a couple of really interesting points, because there is a thriller—I actually write suspense now—and one of the books that so captured my attention about five years ago was killing it on the charts. And I thought it was actually a terrible book, but it nailed the bittersweet ending. Like, the premise was solid, and then the bittersweet ending was perfect, and the everything between the first chapter and the last chapter was a hot mess, but—but—um, that ending really stuck with me. And I remember carrying it around with me, like, Wow, they really nailed that ending. You know, and—and maybe that has, like, legs in terms of, like, talking about it. And, you know, if it—if—if it's irritating enough, like, the tension is still there—enough to, like, make people talk about it—it could actually affect the performance of that book. But also, um, one thing that I really love about this series—you have—what is the series title for the...?Tess GerritsenMartini—The Martini Club.Sarina BowenThe Martini Club, right? So The Martini Club is two books now. I inhaled the first one last summer, and I inhaled the second one this summer. And The Martini Club refers to this group of friends—these retired spies. And of course, there are two completely different mysteries in book one and book two. And I noticed a couple of things about the difference between those mysteries that was really fun. So in the first case—or in one of the two cases, let's see—in one of them, the thing that happens in their town is actually, like, related to them. And in the other one, it's kind of not. So to me, that felt like a boundary expansion of your world and your system. But also, I just love the way you leaned into the relationship of these people and their town in such a way. And how did you know to do that? Like, how—what does your toolbox say about how to get that expansiveness in your character set? Like, you know, to—to find all the limits of it?Tess GerritsenThat—you know, so much is like—it's like asking a pole-vaulter how they do it. They just—they have just—I guess its muscle memory. You don't really know how you're doing it, but what I did know was—with age, and because I love these characters so much—it really became about them and about what is going to deepen their friendship? What kind of a challenge is going to make them lean into each other—lean on each other? That's really what I was writing about, I think, was this circle of friends, and—and what you will do, how much you will sacrifice, to make sure your friends are safe. No, you're right—the second book is much more of a classic mystery. Yeah—a girl disappears. I mean, there was—there were—there were CIA undertones in that, because that becomes an important part of the book. But I think that what people are—when people say they love this book—they really talk about the characters and that friendship. And we all want friends like this, where we can go and—and—and have martinis together, and then if we—one of us needs to—we'll go help them bury a body.Multiple Speakers(All laughing)Tess GerritsenThat's—they all have shovels, and they're willing to do it. That's the kind of friendship—friends—we want.Jess LaheyWell, and that's funny you mention that—I had an entire question—it wasn't even a question, it was a statement—in here about friendships and being grateful to you for the reminder about the importance of relationships. And this entire podcast was born out of the fact that we were talking writing all the time, and we just wanted an official way to sit down once a week and actually talk about the work. And your work is suffused with just these incredible relationships—whether that's the Rizzoli and Isles—you know, in your first—in the one of your other series—and I'm just—I'm very grateful for that, because we—especially—I think I re—I really crave books about female relationships, especially about older female relationships. And I have been loving your books, and I've—like, as I may have mentioned to you in my initial email—I had—I'm so sorry—never read your books before. And I admitted in the introduction that there are lots of very, very famous authors whose books I have never read. And it's always so exciting to me to dive into someone's series and realize, oh, this person really touches on themes that mean a lot to me, and I can already tell that I'm going to be enjoying a lot of their books to come forward. So thank you for all of the great descriptions of relationships and how we do rely on each other for various aspects of just how we get through all of this stuff.Tess GerritsenYeah—get through life. But you know what's funny about it is that it didn't start that way. For instance, let's go back to Rizzoli and Isles. The very first time they both appear in a book is in The Apprentice. And they don't start off being friends. They start off being—they're so different. As the TV producer once said, “you've really written about Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock.” That's okay—they are—in the books. They are not natural friends. But like real-life friendships, sometimes—just kind of develop slowly, and—and they have their ups and downs. So there are times when—when Jane and Maura are barely speaking to each other because of conflicts they have. But by the time book twelve comes around—or maybe book seven comes around—you know that they would risk their lives for each other. So I think that if you're writing a series like Rizzoli and Isles, or like The Martini Club, it really helps to develop the friendship on the fly and see how they react to certain stresses. The next book, which I just turned in, called The Shadow Friends—it even put—pushes them even further, and it really—it really strains a marriage, because it's—it's more about Ingrid, and an old lover comes back into her life. She used to—they were both spies—and he is, like, hot, hot, hot—Antonio Banderas kind of guy. And here's Ingrid, married to Lloyd, you know, who's just a sweet analyst who cooks dinner for her every night. And I—when I was coming up with that story, I thought, I want to write a book about their marriage. So it wasn't—the plot wasn't about, oh, you know, international assassinations, even though that does occur in the book. It's really about the story of a marriage.Jess LaheyAnd it gives you, it gives you added unease. You know, if you have your two characters not speaking to each other, and you know your readers love those characters and crave those characters to be getting along at some point, then that's just another reason that we're following along. I was just thinking about, uh, Michael Connelly, uh, book the other day, because I really, really like the series he did with Renée Ballard and her relationship with the Bosch character, and how that series is totally about crime, but yet it's also very much about the relationship. And I think I follow—I continue to read those because of the relationship between those two human beings, and less so because of the murder mystery sort of stuff.Tess GerritsenI think it really becomes important if you're dealing also with Hollywood television series. I still remember what the producer first said when he called me up about Rizzoli and Isles. He said, "I love your girls, and I think they belong on TV.” He didn't say, I love your plots. He didn't say, I love your mysteries, you know, all your intricate ups and downs. It was really about the girls. So if you hope to sell to a television series, really, it's about characters again.Jess LaheyAbsolutely.Sarina BowenI was going to ask about longevity, because you have so many books, and you're so obviously still invigorated by the process, or there wouldn't be a book three that you just turned in. So how have you been able to avoid just being sick to death of—of writing suspense novel after suspense novel?Tess GerritsenI refused. That's what it is. You know, I—I don't—I guess I could say that I have a little bit of ADHD when it comes to—to the books I write. I cannot—after 13 books of Rizzoli and Isles, I just had a different idea. And it takes—it takes a certain amount of backbone to say no to your publisher, to your editor, to people who are going, well, when's the next one in this series coming out? And to be able to say, I need a break. I need to do something completely different. So over—how many years I've been a writer—almost 40 now—I've written science fiction and historicals and a ghost story and romantic suspense and spy novels and medical thrillers and crime novels. I've been all over the place, but each one of those books that took me out of what I was expected to do was so invigorating. It was a book that I needed to write. As an example, I wrote a book called Playing with Fire. Nobody wanted that book. Nobody expected that book. It was a historical about World War II, and about music—about the power of music—and having to do with the death camps. I remember my publisher going, "What are you doing?" And, you know, it's—it's true—they're—they—they are marketers, and they understood that that book would not sell as well, and it didn't. But it still remains one of my favorite books. And when you want to write a book, you need to write that book. That's all—even—even if nobody wants it.Jess LaheyI actually was—I'm so pleased that this came up, because that was actually going to be my question, because both you and Sarina have done this—done, you know, 90 degrees—whether it's out of, you know, one genre into another—and that, to me, requires an enormous amount of courage. Because you know you have people expecting things from you. And you in particular, Tess, have people saying, "No, I want the next one. I love this relationship. I want the next one." And—and dealing—you're not just dealing with the disappointment of whether it's an agent or an editor, but the disappointment of fans. And that's a pressure as well. So when I used to do journalism, I remember a question I asked of another journalist was, "How do you continue to write without fear of the comment section?" And essentially, for us, that's our—you know, those are our readers. So how do you find that thing within yourself to say, no, this really is the thing that I need to be writing now?Tess GerritsenWell, that is a really—it's a really tough decision to buck the trend or buck what everybody's expecting, because there's a thing in publishing called the death spiral. And if your book does not sell well, they will print fewer copies for the next one. And then that won't sell well. So you start—your career starts to go down the drain. And that is a danger every time you step out of your tried and true series and do something out of—you know, completely out of the ordinary. I think the reason I did it was that I really didn't give a damn. It was—it was like, Okay, maybe this will kill my career, but I've got to write this book. And it was always with the idea that if my publisher did not want that, I would just self-publish. I would just, you know, find another way to get it out there. And I—I was warned, rightly so, that your sales will not be good for this book, and that will—it will hurt the next contract. And I understood that. But it was the only way I could keep my career going. Once you get bored, and you're—you're trapped in a drawer, I think it shows up in your writing.Jess LaheyI had this very conversation with my agent. The—my first book did well. And so then, you know, the expectation is, I'll write like part two of that, or I'll write something for that exact same audience again. And when I told my agent—I said, "You know, this book on substance use prevention and kids—I—it's—I have to write it. And I'm going to write it even, you know, if I have to go out there and sell it out of the trunk of my car." And she said, "Okay, then I guess we're doing this." And yes...Tess Gerritsen(Laughing) They had their best wishes at heart.Jess LaheyAnd honestly, I love—I loved my book that did well. But The Addiction Inoculation is the book I'm most proud of. And, you know, that's—yeah, that's been very important to me.Tess GerritsenI often hear from writers that the book that sold the fewest copies was one that was—were their favorites. Those are the ones that they took a risk on, that they—I mean, they put their heart and soul into it. And maybe those hurt their careers, but those are the ones that we end up being proud of.Jess LaheyI like to remind Sarina of that, because I do remember we text each other constantly. We have a little group, the three of us, a little group text all day long. And there was—I remember when she first wrote a male-male romance, she was scared. She was really scared that this was going to be too different for her readers. And it ended up being, I think, my favorite book that she's ever written, and also a very important book for her in terms of her career development and growth, and what she loves about the work that she does. And so I like to remind her every once in a while, remember when you said that really scared you and you weren't sure how your readers were going to handle it?Sarina BowenRight? Well, I also did that in the middle of a series, and I went looking for confirmation that that is a thing that people did sometimes, and it was not findable. You know, that was...Jess LaheyWhat? Change things up in terms of—change things up in the middle of a series?Sarina BowenIn the middle of a series. And anyway, that book still sells.Tess GerritsenThat is a great act of courage, but it's also an act of confidence in yourself as a writer. There are ways to do it. I think some writers will just adopt a different pen name for something that's way out there.Jess LaheyIt's funny you should say... it's funny you should say that.Sarina BowenWell, no, and I never have done that, but, um—but anyway, yeah, that's hard. I, uh...Jess LaheyYeah.Sarina BowenIt's hard to know. Sometimes...Jess LaheyWe entertain it all the time. We do talk about that as an option all the time. Shouldn't we just pick up and do something completely different? One of the things that I also—I mentioned at the top of the podcast about, you know, you went off—not only have you done lots of different things in terms of your writing—but you went off and you did an entire documentary about pigs. I have—I have to ask you where on earth that came from and why. And it is a total delight, as I mentioned, and I have already recommended it to two people that I know also love the topic. But, you know, to go off—and especially when you usually, as some of us have experienced—our agents saying, so when am I going to see more pages? or when am I going to see the next book? And you say, I'm really sorry, but I have to go off and film this documentary about pigs.Tess GerritsenYes. Well, you know, I was an anthropology major in college, and I've always been interested in the pig taboo. You know, back then, everybody just assumed it was because, yeah, it was disease or they're dirty animals—that's why they're forbidden food. It never quite convinced me, because I'm Chinese-American. Asia—you know, Asia loves pork. Why aren't they worried about all that? So I was in Istanbul for a book tour once, and I remember I really wanted bacon, and, you know, I couldn't get bacon. And then I thought, okay, I really need to find out why pork is forbidden. This is a—this is a cultural and historical mystery that never made sense to me. The explanations just never made sense to me. It cannot be trichinosis. So I told my son that—my son is—he does—he's a filmmaker as well. And he just said, "Well, let's do it. Let's—we will pose it as a mystery," because it is a mystery. So it took us probably two years to go and—you know, we interviewed anthropologists and pet pig owners and archaeologists, actually, just to find out, what do they say? What is the answer to this? And to us, the answer really just came down to this cultural desire for every—every tribe—to define us versus them. You know, they eat pigs. They're not us, so therefore they're the enemy. And it was fascinating because we—we ended up finding out more about pigs than I was expecting, and also finding out that people who have pet pigs can sometimes be a little unusual.Jess LaheyAnd the people who purchase the clothes for the pigs are also crazy.Tess GerritsenYes. Sew outfits for their pigs and sleep with their pigs. And there was—there was one woman who had—she slept on the second floor of her house, so she had an elevator for her pig who couldn't make it up the stairs, and, you know, ramps to get up onto the bed because they've gotten so fat—they've been overfed. But it was—for me, at the heart of it was a mystery.Jess LaheyAs a nonfiction author whose whole entire reason for being is, "I don't know—let's find out," I think that's just the most delightful thing. And I loved your framing as, "I don't know, we have this question, let's go out there and just ask people about it and find the experts." And that's—oh, I could just live on that stuff. So...Tess GerritsenSo could I. You know, research is so enticing. It's enticing. It is—it can get you into trouble because you never write your book. Some of us just love to do the research.Jess LaheySarina actually has taken skating lessons, done glass blowing—what else have you done? Yoga classes and all—all kinds of things in the pursuit of knowledge for her characters. And I think that's a delight.Sarina BowenYes. If you can sign up for a class as part of your research, like, that is just the best day. Like, you know, oh, I must take these ice skating lessons twice a day for five months, because—yeah—or twice a week, but still.Tess GerritsenYou must be a good ice skater then.Sarina BowenI'm getting better.Tess GerritsenSo you never gave them up, I see.Jess LaheyWell, it's fun because she usually writes about hockey, but she has a figure skater coming up in this book that's coming out this fall. And she's like, "Well, I guess I'm just going to have to learn how to figure skate."Tess GerritsenYeah.Sarina BowenI also—one time I went to see Rebecca Skloot speak about her big nonfiction The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.Tess GerritsenOh, okay.Sarina BowenAnd she said that all her best ideas had come from moments in her life when she went, "Wait, what?!"Tess GerritsenYes. Yep.Sarina BowenIncluding for The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Like, she learned about the cells in high school—she was in high school biology class—and the teacher said, like, "This woman died in the '60s, but we're still using her cells," and she said, "Wait, what?!" And that's—that's what you made me think of with the pigs. Like, I think...Jess LaheyWell, and also your folder of ideas. I mean, I immediately texted Sarina after listening to a podcast where I heard an ad, and the ad made me go, "Oh that could be creepy." And then I'm like, "Okay, this is—this is a plot. This is going in the folder somewhere." And so you have to just think about how those things could unfold over time. And I love the idea of—and even in journalism—there are articles that I've written where I said, this just isn't their time. And then, like, five years later, I'll hear something out there, and I'm like, okay, finally, it's the time for this thing. And there's a reason you put that article in your idea—in your paper—manila folder of ideas.Tess GerritsenWell, I think writers are—we have to be curious. We have to be engaged in what's going on around us, because the ideas are everywhere. And I have this—I like to say I have a formula. It's called "two plus two equals five." And what that means is, sometimes you'll have a—you'll have a piece of information that, you know, there's a book here, but you haven't figured out what to do with it. And you wait for another piece of information from some completely different source, and you put them together, and they end up being like nuclear fusion—bigger than the…Sarina BowenYes!Jess LaheyYes!Tess GerritsenSome of the parts.Sarina BowenMost every book I've ever written works like that. Like, I have one idea that I drag around for, like, five years, and then I have this other idea, and one day I'm like, oh, those two things go together.Tess GerritsenYep.Jess LaheyYeah, absolutely. I think Stephen King mentioned that about Carrie. I think it was like, telekinesis, and that usually starts about the time of menstruation, and it was like, boom, there was Carrie. You know, those two things came together. I love that so much. So you mentioned that you have just handed in your next book, and we don't—we do not, as a rule, ask about what's next for an author, because I find that to be an incredibly intimidating and horrifying question to be asked. But I would love to hear; you know, is this—is this series one that you hope to continue working on? The main series, mainly because we have quite fallen in love with your little town in Maine—in Purity, Maine. Fantastic name for your town, by the way. It's really lovely. It creates such a nice dichotomy for these people who have seen and heard things during their careers that maybe are quite dark, and then they retire to a place called Purity. Is this a place where we can hopefully spend a little bit of time?Tess GerritsenWell, I am thinking about book number four now. I have an idea. You know, it always starts with—it starts with an idea and doodling around and trying to figure out what—you know, you start with this horrible situation, and then you have to explain it. So that's where I am now. I have this horrible situation, I have to explain it. So, yeah, I'm thinking about book four. I don't know how—you never know how long a series is going to go. It's a little tough because I have my characters who are internationally based—I mean, they've been around the world—but then I can't leave behind my local cop who is also a part of this group as well. So I have to keep an eye out on Maine being the center of most of the action.Sarina BowenRight, because how many international plots can you give Purity, Maine?Tess GerritsenThat's right, exactly. Well, luckily…Jess LaheyLook, Murder, She Wrote—how many things happened to that woman in that small town?Tess GerritsenExactly, exactly. Well, luckily, because I have so many CIA retirees up here, the international world comes to us. Like the next book, The Shadow Friends, is about a global security conference where one of the speakers gets murdered. And it turns out we have a global security conference right here in our town that was started by CIA 40 years ago. So I'm just—I'm just piggybacking on reality here. And—not that the spies up here think that's very amusing.Sarina BowenThat is fantastic, because, you know, the essential problem of writing a suspense novel is that you have to ground it in a reality that everyone is super familiar with, and you have to bring in this explosive bit of action that is unlikely to happen near any of us. And those two things have to fit together correctly. So by, um, by putting your retired spies in this tiny town, you have sort of, like, gifted yourself with that, you know, precise problem solver.Tess GerritsenYeah, reminding us.Sarina BowenYeah.Tess GerritsenBut there's only so far I can take that. I'm not sure what the limits... I think book four is going to take them all overseas, because my local cop, Jo, she's never been out of the country—except for Canada—and it's time for her dad to drag her over to Italy and say, "Your dead mom wanted to come to Italy, so I'm taking you." And, of course, things go wrong in Italy for Jo.Jess LaheyOf course, of course. Well, we're going to keep just banging on about how much we love these books. I think we've already mentioned it in three podcast episodes so far in our “What have you been reading lately that you've really loved?” So we're—we're big fans. And thank you so much for sitting down to talk with us and to—you know, one of the whole points of our podcast is to flatten the learning curve for other authors, so we hope that that's done a little bit of that for our listeners. And again, thank you so much. Where can people find you and your work if they want to learn a little bit more about Tess Gerritsen—her work?Tess GerritsenYou can go to TessGerritsen.com, and I try to post as much information there as I can. But I'm also at Bluesky, @TessGerritsen, and what is now called “X”—a legacy person on X—@TessGerritsen, yes.Jess LaheyThank you so, so much again. And for everyone out there listening, keep your butt in the chair and your head in the game.The Hashtag AmWriting Podcast is produced by Andrew Perella. Our intro music—aptly titled Unemployed Monday—was written and played by Max Cohen. Andrew and Max were paid for their time and their creative output, because everyone deserves to be paid for their work. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe