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In this week's episode, I take a look back over the last fifteen years and recount how I learned to write quickly. This week's coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Ghost in the Stone, Book #5 in the The Ghosts series, (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy) at my Payhip store: FALLSTONE The coupon code is valid through September 28, 2026. So if you need a new audiobook this fall, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 320 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is September 11th, 2026, and today I'm discussing how I learned to write fast. Before we get to all that, we will have Coupon of the Week and a progress update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. This week's coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Ghost in the Stone, Book #5 in The Ghosts series (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy) at my Payhip store. That coupon code is FALLSTONE. As always, we will include the links and the coupon code in the show notes for this episode. This coupon code will be valid through September 28th, 2026. So if you need a new audiobook this fall, we have got you covered. Now let's have an update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. For Blade of Visions, which is my main project right now, the rough draft is done, the first editing pass is done, and I'm hoping to start on the second editing pass as soon as I finish recording this episode. So if all goes well and nothing unexpected happens, I very much hope that the book will be out a week from when this episode goes live. So a week from whenever you listen to this, check your favorite ebook store and hopefully Blade of Visions will be there. And of course you can always listen to this podcast and watch my website and social media for other announcements. My secondary project is Elven-Warlock, the seventh book in the Rivah Half-Elven series. I am currently 16,000 words into that. As soon as Blade of Visions is published, Elven-Warlock will then be my new main project and if all goes well, I hope to have that out in October sometime. In audiobook news, as I mentioned last week, Blade of Thieves and Cloak of Worlds should now be available at all the different audiobook stores. Hollis McCarthy is currently recording Cloak of Summoning and we should have some updates on that soon. In a bit of exciting audiobook news from that or related to that, I should mention that Hollis McCarthy was announced as a finalist for Narrator of Distinction for the Professional Audiobook Narrators Association for her work on Cloak of Embers, which was Cloak Mage #10. So if you get a chance, be sure to congratulate Hollis for that if you hang out on my social media pages. So that's where I'm at with my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. 00:02:25 How I Learned to Write Fast Now let's move on to my main topic, how I learn to write fast. Occasionally I will see a new indie author looking with dismay at how much time it takes to write and expressing the opinion that it must be impossible to write a million words a year without the aid of generative AI. Ha, no. I should point out that I wrote a million words in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 and back then the current AI tech bros were still searching for the big scam that would one day make them rich. They tried crypto and NFTs in the interim. ChatGPT would not be inflicted upon the world until the end of 2022. Admittedly, I didn't write a million new words in 2021, 2022 and 2023, but that was from a combination of personal issues taking up time and illness. I still hit between 800,000 and 900,000 in those three years. In 2024 and 2025, I wrote a million new words. I might or might not hit a million new words in 2026, and it largely depends on how the rest of the year goes. I had to take a lot of time off in spring and summer, and that really slowed me down. I did hit 700,000 words once Blade of Visions was done, so we'll see what happens the remaining four months of the year. But yes, if you're writing full-time, a million words in a year is certainly achievable, though as with all things it takes practice and can be subject to events. With that in mind, I thought I would explain how I was able over time to ramp up to writing a million new words in a year. It was less something I set out consciously to do when I started this in 2011 and more a step-by-step evolutionary process that took several years. By the grace of God, I have been indie publishing for almost 15 and a half years now. So here's the process of how I ended up writing a million words in a year. #1: Tech Writing Back in the second half of the 2000s, I used to do a lot of tech blogging, mostly about Linux, and I also did tech support, which frequently involved writing FAQs and guides for how to connect your Blackberry or Windows Mobile device to the company email or whatever. In retrospect, Blackberry and Windows Mobile were both terrible operating systems, so it's not surprising the iPhone and later Android blew them out of the water. Anyway, tech blogging taught me the value of writing quickly. Back then, you could still make money off Google AdSense, and so if I could write quickly on a tech topic, I could post it, get Google traffic, and then make a little bit of money from Google Ads. Writing FAQs and guides also taught me the value of writing as concisely and as clearly as possible. President Franklin D. Roosevelt famously said of public speaking that the best approach to public speaking was "be sincere, be brief, be seated", and that's also true of technical guides. Back then, I was working on novels as well, specifically what would end up becoming the first three Caina books, but I never wrote more than a thousand words a day of fiction unless I was bored or I was really inspired, neither of which happened all that often. #2: Soul of Serpents By the end of 2010, I had sworn off trying to get traditionally published and decided to focus on tech blogging, but then I got my first Kindle after Thanksgiving in 2010, and I realized there had to be a way to make money off this thing. This led me to discovering Kindle Direct Publishing, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and the other early self-publishing platforms. I published Demonsouled, Soul of Tyrants, and the first three Caina books, and then I decided I'd write one more Demonsouled book to finish off the story. It always annoyed me to no end that I'd never gotten to write a sequel to Soul of Tyrants, but now that the opportunity was here, I decided that I would have a Demonsouled trilogy and Soul of Serpents would be the last novel I would ever write, which goes to show I may not be that great at telling the future. Soul of Serpents was the first book I ever wrote specifically intended for self-publishing instead of submitting it to legacy publishers. I wrote it over the summer of 2011, and I figured if I wrote 1,500 words a day, I could get the rough draft of the book done by the end of the summer, which I did, and I ended up publishing it at the end of August of that month. That was also why I made Demonsouled and Child of the Ghosts free for the first time, which meant that their sequels started to sell a little bit. I was actually beginning to make a little bit of money off my novels for the first time in my life, which was very exciting. It also meant that I wanted to continue the Demonsouled series past the third book, which leads us to the next phase of our story. #3: Soul of Dragons In the second half of 2011, I was extremely busy. I had a full-time job and I had a part-time job that required a lot of off-the-clock preparation. Despite that, I was determined to write Soul of Dragons, so I pushed onward when I could. This was when I began writing during my lunch break for the first time, but I often didn't get to my 1,500 words a day during lunch. So by the time I got home at the end of the day, which was frequently between 9:00 and 10:00 PM, I would frequently squeeze in my remaining words (sometimes all my words), before I went to sleep, only to wake up at 5:45 AM to go to the gym. This level of workload, as you can imagine, was absolutely exhausting, and I don't recommend it, but I still did it. I think it was necessary to learn to write a novel under a state of extreme strain since that was good practice for the 160 books that would follow Soul of Dragons. If I wrote only when I was perfectly calm and there was nothing else demanding my time or attention, I would never get any writing done at all. I really hate to give career advice to younger people since so much of the advice they receive these days is obsolete at best and malicious and condescending at worst. In economic terms, 2026 might well be another planet compared to 1976 or 2000, but sometimes in life you really do have to put in a maximum effort over a sustained amount of time (even if it's approaching midnight, you have to get up in five hours, and you still have 500 words to go before you can sleep). That said, if at all possible, I would advise only putting in that kind of effort if you're working for yourself and not for an employer that will lay you off the instant the stock price dips slightly. It took a while, but I did it. Soul of Dragons came out in February of 2012 and sold pretty well. By this time, the books were selling well enough that while I didn't want to go full-time, they were providing a nice cushion against the unexpected vagaries of life. My full-time employer was also heading towards trouble, so I decided to keep writing. #4: Ghost in the Storm My next book in early 2012 after finishing Soul of Dragons was Ghost in the Storm. Like with Demonsouled and Soul of Tyrants, I was always disappointed that I never got to continue Caina's story past the end of Ghost in the Blood, and so I was excited to start Ghost in the Storm. Little did I know that Caina's story would continue for another 30 books past that. I wanted to write faster, so I settled on a goal of 3,000 words a day for Ghost in the Storm. I would write as much as I could in the morning, then over my lunch break, and then finish my 3,000 words, hopefully in the evening before I went to bed. I very distinctly recall that in March of 2012, I was in the process of moving to a new apartment. I bought a couch and scheduled it to be delivered that morning at about 10:00 AM. So I took the morning off, brought my laptop and a folding chair to the empty apartment and wrote, and I kept writing and writing, and the couch never showed up. Finally, in exasperation, I had run out of my hours off, so I had to go to work only to get the call at 4:00 PM that the couch guys had finally showed up and needed me to let them in. I begged them to stay where they were, broke the speed limit to get back to the apartment, and arrived just as they were walking back to their truck. Thankfully, I was able to convince them to deliver the couch. As annoying as that day turned out to be, it worked out well because I got the new couch and I also wrote a bunch of Ghosts in the Storm, which ended up coming out towards the end of April 2012. #5: Ghost Aria In summer 2012, I wrote Soul of Sorcery, which was a huge book that took a long time to write, but it was also the first book I ever wrote that made it to any bestseller list of any kind on amazon.com, which was a pleasant milestone. After Soul of Sorcery, I started working on Ghost in the Stone and finished it up in early 2013. For both Soul of Sorcery and Ghost in the Stone, I had stuck to 3,000 words a day. By then, I had started working more on marketing, so I had an email newsletter. It had occurred to me that giving something away for free in the newsletter might be a great way to drive newsletter engagement, and I'd always liked writing short stories back in the 2000s. So why not write a bonus short story related to the book and give it away for free? So that was where Ghost Aria came from. It was the first short story I gave away for free with my newsletter. Since then, I've written hundreds of short stories and given away tens of thousands of them, so I think it was a good decision. #6: Dual projects In 2015, I had the opportunity to write a tie-in novel for a game product, which I wanted to do, yet I hesitated because I was working on Ghost in the Inferno at the time, and I knew Ghost in the Inferno would actually sell and make some money. The tie-in book was a roll of the dice, but it was a good enough opportunity that I wanted to take it, or so it seemed at the time, but I didn't want to stop working on Ghost in the Inferno, so I did both. Ghost in the Inferno was my main project, and the game book was my secondary one where I squeezed out a couple hundred words a day. Once Ghost in the Inferno was done, I finished the game book relatively quickly. Of course, nothing ever came of it. The game company and the book company fell out and then respectively went out of business, and the game tie in book never saw the light of day. I would've been better off not writing the tie in novel, except I gained a valuable skill from the experience. Before that, I had only ever worked on one fiction project at a time. Now I had taught myself to do two at once. Ever since then, I have followed my primary/secondary project model while trying to get as many words down as possible in my primary project, but I also write 250 words or so of my secondary project before I go to the gym in the morning while I'm having my coffee. So when I finish my primary project, I'm usually about 10,000 to 20,000 words into my secondary project, which gets promoted to my new primary project. For example, Blade of Visions is almost done, but my secondary project, Elven-Warlock, is currently at 16,000 words, so that gives everything a nice little speed boost. I suppose this is yet another example of the lesson that if you're going to work really, really hard on something, if possible, you should be working for yourself and not on spec for someone else. Anyway, the primary/secondary project system has been really helpful to me, especially after I went full-time, which we will discuss next. #7: Time for Full-time So that was the paradigm I followed for the next four years from 2012 to 2016. I aimed for 3,000 words a day and mostly kept to it. I usually ended up writing between 500,000 and 600,000 words a year. I finished Demonsouled and The Ghosts and started on Frostborn and Ghost Exile, and then on a whim started writing Cloak Games in 2015 as a secondary project. 27 books later, Cloak Games/Cloak Mage has likewise turned out to be much longer than I thought. Frostborn also really took off in 2016, which was nice. I would've been perfectly content to continue working full-time and writing as a side gig, especially since I no longer had that part-time job because the books were paying better. That said, I knew in the back of my mind I could go full-time if it became necessary, especially if my employer went under or had layoffs. I admit going full-time started to become tempting as I took on more work and responsibilities after the layoffs. From 2012 to 2016, I got up at 4:30 AM every workday so I'd have time to get everything done. Admittedly, that's not a big deal and lots of people have to do that, yet I admit to this day, I still find 4 in the morning the worst time to get up to use the bathroom or to wake up before a long road trip or whatever. Somehow waking up and seeing 4 on the clock just seems so hateful. Ironically, for all the time I spent thinking about layoffs and preparing contingency plans about what I do afterward, I never actually got laid off. In 2016, I ended up needing to move to a new US state for a combination of family and personal reasons, so I had to quit. I thought about finding a new job in the tech field, but decided the time had come to start writing full-time. Since this was now my full-time job, there was no reason not to write as much as possible. In fact, that was probably a good idea if I wanted to eat, and that's when I started to trying to hit a million words a year. #8: The Rest of the 2010s So from 2016 onward, I wrote full-time. I had a million new words in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. I finished Ghost Exile and started Ghost Night, finished Frostborn and Sevenfold Sword and wrote most of Dragontiarna. I finished Cloak Games, started Cloak Mage, and I wrote, I think, the first nine books of Silent Order and also finished Malison. I also started doing self-published audiobooks in 2018 with Child of the Ghosts and Frostborn: The Dark Warden. 2017 was my absolute peak for word count since I hit 1.4 million words that year. Not surprisingly, that was probably my best year of sales ever since I finished Frostborn and started Sevenfold Sword in 2017, but I did hit a million words every year for the rest of the 2010s, including 2020. However, after 2020, there was trouble ahead, and you've probably guessed what it is. #9: Fun with COVID 2020 was a productive year for writing since I reached 1.2 million words and I took some Photoshop classes, which turned out to be really valuable in terms of cover design and creating marketing and ad images. It's pretty rare that I don't use Photoshop for something at least once a day now. However, as it would turn out, my big long-term problem was that the gyms in my local area closed for a long time during COVID, and I never found an adequate replacement for them. I ended up gaining a bunch of weight (with all the related health concerns that causes). In 2021, I only reached 974,000 words. Not a big deal. I thought. I'll hit a million next year. However, that didn't work as well because for a variety of personal health reasons in 2022, I only reached 814,000. I also tried a couple of new things during the early 2020s that really didn't work. In 2021, I published the two Cormac Rogan books, which people liked, but it really didn't have an audience. In 2022, I published the first book of what would become the Stealth & Spells Online trilogy, and that didn't sell very well because I misread the audience for LitRPG. Essentially, the LitRPG market wants Isekai/portal fantasy or system apocalypse type stuff, and I've written a science fiction thriller with LitRPG elements. Then in 2023, I actually got COVID, and that just laid me flat for six weeks. I barely got any work done in May and about half of June, and I realized I was going to have to make some changes. #10: Rivah Half-Elven to the Rescue First of all, I realized that I was doing too much by myself. I thought about stopping audiobooks and the podcast entirely, but instead I hired an audiobook proofer and a transcriptionist/researcher to help with that. Second, I still wanted to try something new. Cormac Rogan and Stealth & Spells hadn't worked all that well, but in April of 2023, I'd written about 8,000 words of what would become Half-Elven Thief. When I got sick over the summer, I stopped working on it to focus on finishing Dragonskull and the Silent Order series, but at the end of 2023, I dusted off the Word file, finished it, and published it in December of 2023. It had a substantially stronger first month than Stealth & Spells, so it was time to embark on the Half-Elven Thief series. #11: The Super Summer of Finishing Things I also realized that I gotten too scattered with five ongoing series at once. I decided to cut it down to three. So in the summer of 2025, I finished The Shield War, Stealth & Spells Online, and Ghost Armor. My ongoing series would be Blades of Ruin, Cloak Mage, and Half-Elven Thief. I wouldn't start on a new series until I finished one of these. From summer 2023 onward, things improved a good deal over 2021 through 2023. Audiobooks were a lot easier to do with an audiobook proofer to do the final listen, so I've done quite a bit more of those. From 2024 to 2026, I got my weight back down to a pre - COVID level with a lot of calorie counting and exercise (aided by sublimating the desire to snack into blowing up space pirates in Starfield). I did hit a million new words in both 2024 and 2025. As I mentioned, I'm not sure if I will hit a million words in 2026 or not. As I said earlier, I had to take a lot of time off this year, and it will depend on how the rest of the year goes, but I think 900,000 will be definitely achievable. #12: So What Have We Learned From All of This? As you can see, while I can write a million words a year, it took a long time to learn how to do it and a lot of practice, and if enough other things demand time and attention in a year, it's not going to happen. I think the biggest keys to writing as many words as possible in a year are persistence and tenacity. There will be many times you don't want to write, like at midnight when I still had 500 words to go on Soul of Dragons before I could go to bed, but you will need to push through and get to it. Maybe you cut back a little on time-wasting activities like TikTok, doomscrolling, and TV, especially TikTok. It is distressing to see people repeating the nonsense they see on TikTok as absolute fact. Or maybe you learn to type on 15-minute bursts in your phone in those odd blocks of time like waiting rooms or being on hold that would otherwise go to waste. I have read interviews with several people who wrote their novels on their phones while taking the train to and from work. Tenacity is also important. If you wait until circumstances are perfect to write, you will never get anything written. Granted, there are times when writing has to take a backseat to more important things in life. That's okay, that's as it should be. If you can't get a thousand words written, aim for 500. If you miss one day, then tomorrow is another day and you can try again. That is also true over a long time scale as well. If I miss writing a million words in one year, well, tomorrow is another day and next year is another year. And of course, thank you for reading all the books. There'd be no point in writing a million words a year if people didn't read them. So that is it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy, and we'll see you all next week.  

Twin Flames, Myth or Higher Consciousness Mystery of Divine making. Join me on this Sunday morning Higher Consciousness walk as we explore deeper.THANKS FOR Being here

Renovation ep. 839 Roger Ley  was born and educated mainly in London, but spent some of his formative years in Saudi Arabia. He worked as an engineer in the oilfields of North Africa and in the North Sea before starting a career in higher education teaching computer-aided engineering. His stories have been published on a multiplicity of websites and broadcast on BBC Radio. He lives in Suffolk (UK). Visit his website at rogerley.co.uk More TTTV Stories by Roger Ley: https://talltaletv.com/tag/roger-ley/ His Amazon author page is at https://www.amazon.com/stores/Roger-Ley/author/B01KOVZFHM Ancient and Modern: https://talltaletv.com/ancient-and-modern/   ---- Listen Elsewhere ---- YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/TallTaleTV Website: http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- Story Submission ---- Got a short story you'd like to submit? Submission guidelines can be found at http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- About Tall Tale TV ---- Hi there! My name is Chris Herron and I'm an audiobook narrator. In 2015, I suffered from poor Type 1 diabetes control which lead me to become legally blind for almost a year. The doctors didn't give me much hope, predicting an 80% chance that I would never see again. But I refused to give up and changed my lifestyle drastically. Through sheer willpower (and an amazing eye surgeon) I beat the odds and regained my vision. During that difficult time, I couldn't read or write, which was devastating as they had always been a source of comfort for me since childhood. However, my wife took me to the local library where she read out the titles of audiobooks to me. I selected some of my favorite books, such as the Disc World series, Name of the Wind, Harry Potter, and more, and the audiobooks brought these stories to life in a way I had never experienced before. They helped me through the darkest period of my life and I fell in love with audiobooks. Once I regained my vision, I decided to pursue a career as an audiobook narrator instead of a writer. That's why I created Tall Tale TV, to support aspiring authors in the writing communities that I had grown to love before my ordeal. My goal was to help them promote their work by providing a promotional audio short story that showcases their writing skills to readers. They say the strongest form of advertising is word of mouth, so I offer a platform for readers to share these videos and help spread the word about these talented writers. Please consider sharing these stories with your friends and family to support these amazing authors. Thank you!   ---- legal ---- All stories on Tall Tale TV have been submitted in accordance with the terms of service provided on http://www.talltaletv.com or obtained with permission by the author. All images used on Tall Tale TV are either original or Royalty and Attribution free. Most stock images used are provided by http://www.pixabay.com , https://www.canstockphoto.com/ or created using AI. Image attribution will be declared only when required by the copyright owner. Common Affiliates are: Amazon, Smashwords  

In this world where the inner teachings of spirituality are held inside secret sanctums, we have to be ready and willing to hear them and to affect change in our own lives. Without a clear understanding of spiritual concepts the waters of life get muddy with the muck of the outer world.Put on your headphones and join me for a Higher Consciousness Walk where we delve into some questions where the answers can be a little unclear. Turn on your psychic senses and ask for any additional guidance and wisdom as it pertains to your own situation.THANKS FOR Being here

PNL UPRN Seg#94 "Mystical Metaphysical" Guest Miya Starfire and CoHost Rob Shelsky Tue Aug 25th, 2026 at 5pm EST Guest Bios: PNL Podcast (Paranormal NL) located in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), Canada with Host Jen Noseworthy PNLS4/E34-UPRN Segment #94. “Mystical Metaphysical” special Pre-recorded event with a YouTube Live-Chat Watch-Party on UPRN. PNL Host Jen Noseworthy talks with Guest: Miya Starfire (from California). PNL Podcast Alumni Network Member joins as a Co-Host: MUFON investigator & author Rob Shelsky (from North Carolina). Guest Miya Starfire is an intuitive healer, empath, and channel with over 27 years of experience as a licensed massage therapist and energy practitioner. Her work bridges the physical and the unseen, guiding others through awakening, healing, and deeper self-discovery. As a Light Warrior, Starseed, and experiencer, Miya walks a multidimensional path—one shaped by profound spiritual insight, shadow integration, and connection to higher realms. Her journey reflects the truth that awakening is not a destination, but an ever-unfolding expansion of consciousness. Through her Podcast Echoes Beyond the Veil, Miya explores the mysteries of existence, offering guidance, healing, and perspective for those called to remember who they are. Miya believes that once the shadow is embraced, only love remains; and that this moment in time is a powerful opportunity for transformation. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClWILsrxr2Rni5BiIiR14tQ/streams Co-Host Guest: Rob Shelsky was previously on PNL Podcast Season 3 and 4. Check them all out. Shelsky is an author & MUFON field investigator, has written over 80 Paranormal books, and was invited to speak at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Rob has a degree in science, has written a large number of magazine articles, and has been interviewed on a number of shows such as George Noory's Coast-To-Coast AM Radio show. Shelsky was also the on-camera UFO expert for a Travel Channel TV show. Find his books on Amazon Kindle, Smashwords & more. Follow Rob Shelsky on http://robshelsky.blogspot.com/ Shout out to PNL Podcast Alumni Network Members from S3 & S4 Coley UFO with SNX Radio Big shout out to UPRN Producer, Manager Michelle Desrochers.Michelle is also host of The Outer Realm Radio & Beyond the Outer Realm on UPRN www.linktr.ee/michelledesrochers_ United Public Radio & UFO Paranormal Radio www.uprntalkradio.com

Cold War ep.838 Master storyteller and linguist Joseph Carrabis (was/could be/might have been) weaves wildly imaginative stories. With a sharp sense of humor, he creates multi-dimensional characters, reaching beyond the boundaries of the laws of physics by combining advanced mathematics, quantum physics, cybernetics, and neuroscience. Outside of writing, Joseph spends his time with his wife, Susan, reading, listening to and playing music, and walking his dog. He runs a monthly forum, Roundtable 360º, with creatives discussing their journeys. His work has appeared previously on Tall Tale TV.   Contact info for Joseph Carrabis Website - https://josephcarrabis.com/ Amazon - http://nlb.pub/amazon   More TTTV stories by Joseph Carrabis https://talltaletv.com/tag/joseph-carrabis/   ---- Listen Elsewhere ---- YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/TallTaleTV Website: http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- Story Submission ---- Got a short story you'd like to submit? Submission guidelines can be found at http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- About Tall Tale TV ---- Hi there! My name is Chris Herron and I'm an audiobook narrator. In 2015, I suffered from poor Type 1 diabetes control which lead me to become legally blind for almost a year. The doctors didn't give me much hope, predicting an 80% chance that I would never see again. But I refused to give up and changed my lifestyle drastically. Through sheer willpower (and an amazing eye surgeon) I beat the odds and regained my vision. During that difficult time, I couldn't read or write, which was devastating as they had always been a source of comfort for me since childhood. However, my wife took me to the local library where she read out the titles of audiobooks to me. I selected some of my favorite books, such as the Disc World series, Name of the Wind, Harry Potter, and more, and the audiobooks brought these stories to life in a way I had never experienced before. They helped me through the darkest period of my life and I fell in love with audiobooks. Once I regained my vision, I decided to pursue a career as an audiobook narrator instead of a writer. That's why I created Tall Tale TV, to support aspiring authors in the writing communities that I had grown to love before my ordeal. My goal was to help them promote their work by providing a promotional audio short story that showcases their writing skills to readers. They say the strongest form of advertising is word of mouth, so I offer a platform for readers to share these videos and help spread the word about these talented writers. Please consider sharing these stories with your friends and family to support these amazing authors. Thank you!   ---- legal ---- All stories on Tall Tale TV have been submitted in accordance with the terms of service provided on http://www.talltaletv.com or obtained with permission by the author. All images used on Tall Tale TV are either original or Royalty and Attribution free. Most stock images used are provided by http://www.pixabay.com , https://www.canstockphoto.com/ or created using AI. Image attribution will be declared only when required by the copyright owner. Common Affiliates are: Amazon, Smashwords

Of Monsters and Mushrooms, Ch. 17 (book 1 NEW) ep. 837 Like the Voice of God NOTE: This is a rewrite of book 1. Originally, 'Of Monsters and Mushrooms' was supposed to be a multi-part short story that transformed halfway through into a novel. This left the plot (and the voice acting, to be honest) lacking. We decided to go back and completely rewrite book one to fix any plot holes and bring the quality in line with the rest of the series. Listen to the new book one playlist here https://talltaletv.com/series-of-monsters-and-mushrooms-new/ or Listen to book one (NEW!) https://talltaletv.com/series-of-monsters-and-mushrooms-new/ Listen to book two http://talltaletv.com/series-of-tyrants-and-teakettles/ Listen to book three http://talltaletv.com/series-of-bandits-and-bad-magic/ Listen to book 3.5 https://talltaletv.com/series-an-interlude-of-intrigue/ Listen to book four https://talltaletv.com/series-of-portals-and-portents/ Listen to book five https://talltaletv.com/series-of-risk-and-relativity/   Listen to the original book one http://talltaletv.com/series-monsters-mushrooms/   ---- Listen Elsewhere ---- YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/TallTaleTV Website: http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- Story Submission ---- Got a short story you'd like to submit? Submission guidelines can be found at http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- About Tall Tale TV ---- Hi there! My name is Chris Herron and I'm an audiobook narrator. In 2015, I suffered from poor Type 1 diabetes control which lead me to become legally blind for almost a year. The doctors didn't give me much hope, predicting an 80% chance that I would never see again. But I refused to give up and changed my lifestyle drastically. Through sheer willpower (and an amazing eye surgeon) I beat the odds and regained my vision. During that difficult time, I couldn't read or write, which was devastating as they had always been a source of comfort for me since childhood. However, my wife took me to the local library where she read out the titles of audiobooks to me. I selected some of my favorite books, such as the Disc World series, Name of the Wind, Harry Potter, and more, and the audiobooks brought these stories to life in a way I had never experienced before. They helped me through the darkest period of my life and I fell in love with audiobooks. Once I regained my vision, I decided to pursue a career as an audiobook narrator instead of a writer. That's why I created Tall Tale TV, to support aspiring authors in the writing communities that I had grown to love before my ordeal. My goal was to help them promote their work by providing a promotional audio short story that showcases their writing skills to readers. They say the strongest form of advertising is word of mouth, so I offer a platform for readers to share these videos and help spread the word about these talented writers. Please consider sharing these stories with your friends and family to support these amazing authors. Thank you!   ---- legal ---- All stories on Tall Tale TV have been submitted in accordance with the terms of service provided on http://www.talltaletv.com or obtained with permission by the author. All images used on Tall Tale TV are either original or Royalty and Attribution free. Most stock images used are provided by http://www.pixabay.com , https://www.canstockphoto.com/ or created using AI. Image attribution will be declared only when required by the copyright owner. Common Affiliates are: Amazon, Smashwords

In this week's episode, we take a look at some of the common scams targeting indie authors and offer tips on how to detect and avoid them. This coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Ghost in the Blood, Book #3 in The Ghosts series, (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy) at my Payhip store: CAINASUMMER The coupon code is valid through August 31, 2026. So if you need a new audiobook this summer, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 316 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is August the 14th, 2026, and today we are discussing common scams targeting indie writers. We also have a Coupon of the Week and a update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. So let's start off with Coupon of the Week. This week's coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Ghost in the Blood, Book #3 in The Ghosts series (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy) at my Payhip store. That code is CAINASUMMER. As always, the coupon code and the links to my Payhip store will be available in the show notes for this episode. This coupon code will be valid through August the 31st, 2026, so if you need a new audiobook for this summer, we have got you covered. Now let's head on to a progress update. As I mentioned last week, Cloak of Frost is done and it's published and you get it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Apple Books, Smashwords, and my own Payhip Store. It is doing quite well. Thank you all for that, and people seem to be enjoying it. So if you haven't checked out Cloak of Frost yet, you can get it at your favorite ebook store. Now that Cloak of Frost is done, my next main project is Blade of Visions, which will be the sixth book in the Blades of Ruin epic fantasy series. I am 28,000 words into that. I think the rough draft will be about 100,000 words, but we will see. Might be a little more, a little less. I'm hoping to wrap it up early in September so that the book can be out to you sometime in the second half of September, if all goes well. In other news, my secondary project now is Elven-Warlock, the seventh Rivah book, and I am 1,500 words into that. If all goes well, I hope to have that out in October. In audiobook news, we have three things coming your way. The first one is Blade of Thieves, which Brad Wills is currently narrating and should be wrapped up before too much longer. Hollis McCarthy is narrating Cloak of Worlds, and I believe we'll be able to start proof listening to that soon, so that should be available before too much longer. I just finished uploading Stealth and Spells Online: The Complete LitRPG trilogy in audiobook form. So, the entire trilogy in one audiobook comes to about 32 hours long. So hopefully that will get through ACX processing before too much longer, and then you can listen to it. So that is where I'm at with current writing and publishing and audiobook projects. 00:02:22 Main Topic: Common Scams for Writers Now let's move on to our main topic, common scams to avoid for writers. Authors, especially new ones, but to be honest, all of us are hungry for praise, recognition, and professional opportunities. They also have a hunger to be the big new publishing phenomenon, ideally as fast as possible. Unfortunately, scammers are very aware of this and use it to prey upon authors. An example I use for this is if you've read the Heir to the Empire books by Timothy Zahn, the villain, Grand Admiral Thrawn, makes a habit of studying his opponent's artwork to discover their psychological blind spots. Then he tailors his strategies around those psychological blind spots. Now, the reason I mentioned this is that scamming or falling victim to a scam is not necessarily an indication of base intelligence or savviness. Everyone has their psychological weak spots. If a scam hits your psychological weak spot at the right time when you're in the right state of mind when you're tired or sick or have had some additional bad news recently, that might hit. For myself, the scams I've nearly fallen victim to have been ones based around bad news because I'm essentially a very pessimistic personality, so I always kind of half expect bad news. One example was I got a fake email allegedly from Spotify saying that my tax information was wrong for my Spotify audiobooks and that needed to be fixed immediately. This was one I could have fallen for because it arrived during tax time. As we know, tax time is often very onerous and unpleasant and involves a lot of work and digging through papers. So I was inclined to believe it, but still, fortunately, I didn't click on any links in the emails. I went directly to the portal, double checked, and then realized it was a scam. Another example was that recently I got a phone call purporting to be from my local police department. I was thinking, "Oh man, this is going to be a mess." I was listening to it and then thankfully before I gave out any information, I realized that it was in fact a scam and then hung up. Just to be thorough, I called the actual local police department and double checked that it was a scam. But again, that played out my psychological weak point of being a pessimist and expecting bad news. I mention this because if you're aware of your psychological weak spots, like many writers, as we mentioned, are hungry for praise or quick opportunities, then you're more likely to be aware of scams. The other thing I should mention in sort of the introduction here is that thanks to the rise of ChatGPT and Gemini and Claude and all the other LLM slop machines, it's become a lot easier to scam people than it used to be before. I heard it said that Web 1.0 was a static content. Web 2.0 was interactive content like social media. Web 3.0 is scams in the forms of NFTs, cryptos, and LLMs. For example, as I mentioned, I just recently published Cloak of Frost. Since I published Cloak of Frost, I've gotten like 20 scam emails that for the most part read like this: "Dear Jonathan, I'm Stephanie Davis and the thing that caught my attention about Cloak of Frost was how quickly an obligation Nadia would rather avoid turns into a situation where the fate of earth is suddenly on the line. She's supposed to be attending the Winter Frost Games. Then an old friend arrives being chased by clone soldiers with a mysterious magical artifact and suddenly this isn't just another duty for the Marshall of the High Queen of the Elves. The fact that losing the game can mean earth burns gives the whole premise a wonderfully sharp sense of consequence. I partner with Around the World in 80 books, a vibrant community of readers who enjoy discovering books from different authors." It goes on and on in this vein. Since Cloak Frost came out six days ago, I've gotten 20 different emails along those lines, all of them clearly generated by LLMs. In fact, I didn't have to save that email. I just opened up my inbox, picked the most recent one, and that was it. Of course, if I responded, what would've happened would've been a few more emails and eventually they would ask for payment for attending their book festival and I would provide payment and then they would promptly disappear off the face of the earth and go on to target someone else. So you can see how that kind of scam would be dangerous. Imagine you're a brand new author who's just published your first book and doesn't know all that much about ChatGPT and the other LLM slop generators out there and you get an email like that, you'd think you'd won the lottery and you'd be very susceptible to giving payment to the scammer. So today, that's why we're going to go over a few of the more common scams out there and provide some general tips for spotting a scam. #1: Publishing Packages You will frequently be contacted by scamming companies offering to help you publish, market, and work on social media for your book. Some of them will even have official sounding names like Amazon Author Hub or Amazon Book Publisher, which are using the Amazon name but not affiliated with Amazon. It's very, very important to be skeptical of these types of publishing companies in general. At best, most of these publishing services companies greatly overcharge for basic services. At worst, they're outright thieves and scammers. David Gaughran has written about these types of publishers if you're interested in learning more. Writer's Weekly's website keeps a running list of confirmed scam publishers and publishing services, but even if they're not on a list and you find reviews that seem to be good, it's best to be extremely skeptical. It's very easy to accumulate fake Google reviews. For example, without naming names, a local business that I used to frequent recently changed owners a couple months ago. And before that, the local business had two five-star reviews. Since the new owner came in, suddenly there's like 500 five-star reviews popping up, all of them having a variety of names that do not seem like they come from the geographic region in which I live. So what he probably did was use a ChatGPT type service to automatically write a bunch of fake reviews for his business. A lot of these scammy companies can do that as well, so it's best to be very skeptical about this kind of thing. #2 Fake conference/book festival/book club speaking invitation This scam is incredibly common, but comes in a variety of types. You will be contacted by a book club/conference/book festival coordinator saying that they love, love, love your book and offer some praise or comments about it and then invite you to their event. The scam part will also come in after you accept when they will want money for this privilege. It's bad to work for free, but it's also very foolish to pay money to show up for a professional event, especially one located outside your immediate area. The email I read earlier in the show is a good example of one of these. You notice the danger of these comes in because they're using ChatGPT for these. ChatGPT can ingest your book or the book description and then spit out some seemingly plausible praise that makes it seem like the scammer has read your book, but they actually haven't. So I'd be very, very, very wary of any unsolicited conference or book festival invitations, especially ones that are fulsome in their praise for your book. #3: Fake or scammy beta readers/editors/agents Many people will cold email you asking to be hired. They might cite actual typos they can fix in your book, specific connections they can make for you, and praise your book as the next big thing. In reality, reputable and established people in these positions usually have long wait lists for their services. They're not wandering the Internet for just-established authors to add to their client lists. It's far more effective to find reputable and established people in these areas and contact them yourself instead of taking up offers from whoever randomly emails you. One thing I've found both as a writer and as a homeowner is that really good contractors don't need to cold call people to look for business. Really good contractors are so busy that you have to call them and try and get on their schedule. The same thing can be said of beta readers, editors, and agents. #4: Impersonation of famous authors John Grisham, Brandon Sanderson, and your favorite romance writers are not actually randomly emailing random minor authors, telling them that their book shows real promise and might be the next big thing. Don't let praise from a famous name take down your guard. Anyone can pretend to be anyone on the internet and is increasingly easy for pretending to look very real. For example, earlier this year I received an email from British author Hilary Mantel praising one of my books. This is especially remarkable because I got the email, I believe in March of 2026, and Hilary Mantel died in 2022. So while my ego would like to believe that my book was so good that Hillary Mantel returned from death to praise it, I think it is more likely instead that a scammer was impersonating Hilary Mantel using a Gmail account. There have been frequent examples of this over the past year or so as ChatGPT and LLM usage becomes more widespread. People will occasionally receive emails purporting to be from Brandon Sanderson offering to work together on a project. However, if you watch Brandon Sanderson's social media, you'll know that he is busy writing the screenplay for the Mistborn movie from Apple. I think it is safe to say he probably does not have time to email random strangers on the Internet asking to work on their books. So if you get an email from a big name author purporting [to say] that they love [your] book and want to work on it with you, it is almost 100% certain that it is a scam. Since scams are constantly evolving and mutating and developing new forms, I'm going to focus the rest of the episode on some general principles of what to watch out for when people are contacting you as an author. #1: Cold emails or cold calls Legitimate editors, agents, cover designers, and even library event coordinators are absolutely inundated with unsolicited emails and most tend to dismiss or ignore what isn't submitted through proper channels (or depending on their position, might even be required to ignore it as part of their job). The hard truth is they're not going to spend their busy workdays hunting around the Internet for authors with 10 reviews or someone writing an obscure topic. Although it's flattering to think that you've been discovered at random, it really, really doesn't work this way, especially as staffing at publishing houses and libraries has been cut down quite a bit due to corporate consolidation and tax cuts. Reputable publishers are not crawling the Internet to find authors unless they have a jaw-dropping sales record (like Dungeon Crawler Carl level sale records). Publishers and agents want guarantees of success and so it doesn't make sense to turn away from their usual group of celebrities, influencers, and blockbuster authors to go out and spend countless hours actively recruiting unknown authors with only a handful of reviews and a sales rank so low that more than one comma is needed to display it. As your following grows, the number of cold emails or messages you get will grow. Like I mentioned before that when I published Cloak of Frost, I've gotten at least 20 of those scam emails so far, and I will probably get at least another dozen or so more before the initial sales spike of the release week dies off. These messages might be more sophisticated, but they'll use the same general tone of ChatGPT flattery to try and lure you into their schemes. Don't let your excitement at being praised or recognized as the next great American novelist or the next BookTok sensation cloud your judgment. #2: Urgency As with any internet scam, urgency is a major part of the strategy. There will probably be a short deadline to accept their offer, a limited number of available spots, or some alleged deep discount for acting quickly. In reality, if people are contacting you because they want something in good faith, they rarely make this type of demand in the initial request because that is a terrible way to get someone to do what you want. For example, in my previous example about the call from the fake local police department, I became increasingly aware that it was probably a scam once it sounded like they were going to offer me the opportunity to pay my fine over a payment portal they would provide for me, in which case it became obvious that it was a scam. Though just to be sure, I still did call the local police department to double check. Now that kind of urgency is used to force you into a decision. Take a step back, look for more information online, contact someone with more expertise than you, and don't respond just because of a time limit or the fear of missing out on a request or offer. And remember, as I said before too, actual contractors, whether you're a writer or a homeowner, are usually so booked up that they don't go around looking for clients. You have to contact them to get on their calendar. #3: Request for payment This is the big one. At no point should you be paying someone unless you have an established relationship with them and have signed a contract with them such as a cover designer or a social media manager. Do not pay random companies or individuals to do absolutely anything. The best defense against companies that offer publishing services is to get educated on what services you actually need and what a reputable person actually charges for them instead of paying for a package with all sorts of grandiose promises attached. In no universe should it cost tens of thousands of dollars to format your books, create a cover, and make a website from a generic template. It's better to pay reputable people individually for these services once they've been vetted than to trust a company to do it, especially if they're primarily using AI generic templates. You'll receive higher quality services this way and it should be cheaper as well. There are no, none whatsoever reputable book clubs, libraries, or conferences that ask for money for a writer to speak or present. A key exception is paying for vendor tables at events and conferences. A community group, library, or nonprofit organization might ask you to speak for free, but no reputable organization will ever ask to pay for the privilege of showing up and doing something for them. #4: Gmail/non-organization emails A big thing to watch out [for] with a lot of these LLM scams is if the email is coming from a Gmail account or not. For example, in the fake author ones I mentioned with Hillary Mantel or Brandon Sanderson, these emails are coming from a Gmail account. Even if Hillary Mantel hadn't died four years ago, I'm pretty sure she would not be emailing random people from a Gmail account. The same goes for Brandon Sanderson, John Grisham, Matt Dinneman, and the other well-known authors who've been targeted by this kind of scam. John Grisham's favorite editor or the hottest new literary agent are not conducting their business out of random Gmails or accounts that look like domains that are named after alphabet soup. Although accounts can easily be spoofed, a blatantly unprofessional looking account is an easy way to weed out scammers. The flip side of this is unfortunately, if you are a reputable cover designer, editor or so forth, you're probably going to need your own domain email the same way I have jonathanmoeller.com, given how it is increasingly common for scam emails to come from Gmail accounts. #5: Praise that could fit any book or has nothing to do with your book Authors love being praised and the scammers can feed into that easily by throwing your book or a bunch of your book reviews into an LLM to create some targeted compliments. Once you see an example of this type of writing, it becomes extremely easy to spot. For example, this isn't what I've saved. This is literally one that came in as I was recording this episode: "Dear Jonathan, I recently discovered Stealth and Spells Online: The Complete LitRPG trilogy and was immediately drawn to its exciting blend of epic fantasy, virtual reality, gaming, and mystery. The trilogy's fast-paced adventure and immersive world could strongly appeal to LitRPG and fantasy readers." Now, I published the ebook of Stealth and Spells Online: The Complete Trilogy two days ago. It is 290,000 words long. There's absolutely no way anyone could read it that fast and have cogent opinions about it. But if you just throw the book description into a LLM, it can cough up some sincere sounding praise and flattery for you. Likewise, flowery comments that have nothing to do with your book are a great way to spot scammers. Your horror novel should probably not be making anyone think about an important and timely reminder about the importance of being organized during the holidays. So that kind of overwrought praise is usually a good sign that something has been LLM generated. Weirdly, one thing I've noticed is that when I get emails from actual readers who are sincere about what they're saying, there'll usually be typos or bad grammar or so forth. Another telltale spot of LLM-generated scam emails is the utter grammatical perfection of them, not a word or a punctuation mark out of place. whereas if you're getting an email from a real person, there are more likely to be some mistakes. So in general, as scams get more sophisticated, you'll have to be a lot more skeptical than you already are in the internet. As an author, you can eliminate a lot of the scams by taking the time to learn the industry well. Once you know what an average keynote pays at a small bookselling conference, no obscure conference coordinator can convince you to pay $5,000, not including travel expenses, for the privilege of agreeing to do one. Once you know how to format your own book (and I should mention that I formatted Cloak of Frost on a laptop on my couch using a $150 piece of software), no one can convince you to pay them $12,000 to do it. Once you self-publish your first book, you realize that you never need an agent, much less one that wants $40,000 to make you the next J.K. Rowling. Education, caution, skepticism, and a healthy sense of one's place in the greater universe are strong weapons against the most common schemes writers are facing. I hope this episode will have given you greater tools to defend yourself against scams. So that's it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy, and we'll see you all next week.  

PNL UPRN Seg#91 "Paranormal Regatta" Guest Paranormal Paul. CoHost Rob Shelsky Tue Aug 04 2026 at 5pm EST Guest Bio: In this PNL Podcast S4/E31 (UPRN Segment#91) “Paranormal Regatta” Pre-recorded event of PNL (Paranormal NL) Podcast from Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), Canada: host Jen Noseworthy and talks with Guest: Paranormal Paul (from Missouri). PNL Podcast Alumni-Network member joins as Co-Host Guest: Rob Shelsky (from North Carolina) Paranormal Paul (AKA Paul Anthony) is the host of Paranormal Among Us (established March 2023 with over 1.4K subscribers).with C0-Host Natalie Smearman. Paul is also the Host of his new Podcast “The Morning Mix” on Youtube (with sports, weather, and weird news). Paul is part of The Island of Misfits podcasters group (Whom most of are PNL Podcast Alumni-Network members; and have already been on PNL in Season3 & Season4). Check them out such as Blondes and Boos, Greg Ogles, Relic Films, Bigfoot Michigan Rob, and Our Paranormal World (Monica Frank). Follow Paranormal Paul at https://linktr.ee/paranormalamongus72 Co-Host Guest: Rob Shelsky was previously on PNL Podcast Season 3 and 4. Check them all out. Shelsky is an author & MUFON field investigator, has written over 80 Paranormal books, and was invited to speak at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Rob has a degree in science, has written a large number of magazine articles, and has been interviewed on a number of shows such as Coast-To-Coast AM Radio show. Find his books on Amazon Kindle, Smashwords & more. Follow Rob Shelsky on http://robshelsky.blogspot.com/ Shout to PNL Podcast Alumni-Network Members: Sir Knight Bryan Bowden and Mark Eddy from Third Eye Live who introduced me to The Island of Misfits podcasters. Shout out to UPRN Producer and Manager Michelle Desrochers. Michelle is also host of The Outer Realm Radio & Beyond the Outer Realm on UPRN www.linktr.ee/michelledesrochers_ JV Noseworthy (Jen) PNL Podcast & BOG Team Newfoundland & Labrador (NL), Canada Founder/Host: PNL ("Paranormal NL" Podcast) Founder/Team Lead: BOG ("Boots on Ground" Paranormal Investigation Team) Email: paranormal.nl.podcast@gmail.com Follow PNL & BOG Team at https://linktr.ee/paranormalnlpodcast and https://uprntalkradio.com/ United Public Radio & UFO Paranormal Radio www.uprntalkradio.com

Splashing in the Puddles ep. 836 Born in Cuba, Matias Travieso-Diaz migrated to the United States as a young man. He became an engineer and lawyer and practiced for nearly fifty years. After retirement, he took up creative writing. Two hundred and eighty of his short stories have been published or accepted for publication in anthologies, magazines, blogs, audio books, and podcasts. One of his four novels, an autobiography entitled "Cuban Transplant," and four anthologies of his stories have also been published.    More TTTV Stories by Matias Travieso-Diaz: https://talltaletv.com/tag/matias-travieso-diaz/   ---- Listen Elsewhere ---- YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/TallTaleTV Website: http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- Story Submission ---- Got a short story you'd like to submit? Submission guidelines can be found at http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- About Tall Tale TV ---- Hi there! My name is Chris Herron and I'm an audiobook narrator. In 2015, I suffered from poor Type 1 diabetes control which lead me to become legally blind for almost a year. The doctors didn't give me much hope, predicting an 80% chance that I would never see again. But I refused to give up and changed my lifestyle drastically. Through sheer willpower (and an amazing eye surgeon) I beat the odds and regained my vision. During that difficult time, I couldn't read or write, which was devastating as they had always been a source of comfort for me since childhood. However, my wife took me to the local library where she read out the titles of audiobooks to me. I selected some of my favorite books, such as the Disc World series, Name of the Wind, Harry Potter, and more, and the audiobooks brought these stories to life in a way I had never experienced before. They helped me through the darkest period of my life and I fell in love with audiobooks. Once I regained my vision, I decided to pursue a career as an audiobook narrator instead of a writer. That's why I created Tall Tale TV, to support aspiring authors in the writing communities that I had grown to love before my ordeal. My goal was to help them promote their work by providing a promotional audio short story that showcases their writing skills to readers. They say the strongest form of advertising is word of mouth, so I offer a platform for readers to share these videos and help spread the word about these talented writers. Please consider sharing these stories with your friends and family to support these amazing authors. Thank you!   ---- legal ---- All stories on Tall Tale TV have been submitted in accordance with the terms of service provided on http://www.talltaletv.com or obtained with permission by the author. All images used on Tall Tale TV are either original or Royalty and Attribution free. Most stock images used are provided by http://www.pixabay.com , https://www.canstockphoto.com/ or created using AI. Image attribution will be declared only when required by the copyright owner. Common Affiliates are: Amazon, Smashwords  

Substack rolled out a new AI detection tool, and the backlash from writers has been swift. I also cover a proposed Copyright Office fee increase, IngramSpark's new path into Turkey, what librarians actually want from indie books, and a major Anthropic settlement update. Plus, I've got a rapid-fire roundup with author resources, audiobook opportunities, and a couple of last-call promos. As per usual, all relevant links are in the show notes. Dibbly Create - https://DaleLinks.com/DibblyCreate  (affiliate link) The Substack Post: Against Claudefishing - https://post.substack.com/p/against-claudefishing?mc_cid=22d3ab64d9&mc_eid=433332c881 US Copyright Office: Proposed Schedule and Analysis of Copyright Fees to Go Into Effect in Fall 2026 - https://www.copyright.gov/rulemaking/feestudy2026/proposed-fee-schedule.pdf  IngramSpark: General Turkish Book Marketing Information - https://marketing.ingramcontent.com/mrkng/2026/797-27073/797-27073GCTurkeyMarketFAQ.pdf IngramSpark - https://IngramSpark.com Jane Friedman's The Bottom Line - https://janefriedman.com/subscribe-paid-newsletter/ (subscription required) Writer Beware: Anthropic Settlement Update: Final Settlement Approved - https://writerbeware.blog/2026/07/23/anthropic-settlement-update-final-settlement-approved/ Rapid-Fire Newsflash Future Fiction Academy: AI & Authorship Survey - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSctsA4vT3E3dj0FZ3_4R2KzEeWsf-ziqonzbFkwR7RZyzPCDw/viewform  The Indy Author Podcast - https://youtu.be/P7wdCYA2VCo?si=mdg-P1btfkwwdpWs  Twin Flames Studios: How to Fully Leverage Your Audiobook - https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/AYzV78kfTRayVweXp7TXEQ#/registration  Spoken: What Listeners Want: The Edison Results Roundtable (replay) - https://www.spoken.press/spokenroundtable  Gemsy - https://DaleLinks.com/Gemsy (affiliate link). Use code DALESUMMER50 for 50% off till August 20, 2026. The Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale - https://www.smashwords.com/shelves/promos  Other Links The Self-Publishing with Dale Series (on Smashwords) - https://www.smashwords.com/books/byseries/113712  Subscribe to my email newsletter - https://DaleLinks.com/SignUp Join Channel Memberships - https://DaleLinks.com/Memberships Join Me on Discord - https://DaleLinks.com/Discord Check out my main YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@dalelroberts My Books - https://DaleLinks.com/MyBooks  Wanna tip me? Visit https://dalelroberts.gumroad.com/coffee. Where noted, some outbound links financially benefit the channel through affiliate programs. I only endorse programs, products, or services I use and can stand confidently behind. These links do not affect your purchase price and greatly helps to building and growing this channel. Thanks in advance for understanding! - Dale L. Roberts

PNL UPRN Seg#90 Enchanted Poison Plants Guest Varla Ventura Co-Host Rob Shelsky Tue July 28th 5pm EST uest Bio: PNL Podcast (Paranormal NL) located in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), Canada with Host Jen Noseworthy -S4/E30-UPRN Segment #90. “Enchanted Poison Plants” special Pre-recorded event with a YouTube Live-Chat Watch-Party on UPRN. PNL Host Jen Noseworthy talks with Guest: Varla Ventura from Minnesota, USA. Author Rob Shelsky joins as Co-Host Guest & NL Podcast Alumni-Network member. Guest Varla Ventura is the author of Enchanted Plants: A Treasury of Botanical Folklore and Magic, as well multiple other books on folklore, magick, and strange history. When not poking around her “rotten botten” poison garden or hunched over her writing desk Varla can be found wandering the woods, and cemeteries of Minnesota. Some of her numerous books include: Rotten Botany, Among the Mermaids, and The Book of the Bizarre, Faires Pookas and Changlings, Unicornicopia,Astral Camera, Canshees & Warewolves, Rashomon, Dragons & many more. Varla Ventura is fan favorite on Huffington Post's Weird News, and frequent guest on Coast to Coast. https://www.varlaventura.net/books/ Co-Host author Rob Shelsky was previously on PNL S3/E10 (UPRN Seg#17); S4/E6 (UPRN Seg#66);S4/E13(UPRN Seg#73;S4/E19(UPRN Seg#79). Shelsky is an author of over 80 books. Rob has a degree in science, is a MUFON field investigator, and was invited to speak at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Rob has been interviewed on a George Noory's Coast-To-Coast AM Radio show, House of Mystery, The Kevin Cook Show, Art Bell's Midnight In The Desert, The Warren XChange, and Mysterious Radio, Shelsky was the on-camera UFO expert for a Travel Channel TV show. Find his books on Amazon Kindle, Smashwords & more. Follow Rob Shelsky on ⁠http://robshelsky.blogspot.com/⁠ Shout out to Fylthy from SOR (Spaced Out Radio) Cryptid Cartoons who was on PNL S4/E16 (UPRN Seg#76) who recommended Varla Ventura. https://spacedoutradio.com/fylth/ PNL believes in highlighting international Paranormal people, places, and things. PNL believes in promoting global Paranormal-Networking & Paranormal tourism. Thank-you to all the PNL Podcast Alumni-Network guests from season One 2023, Season Two 2024, Season Three 2025, Season Four 2026, and our UPRN & PNL subscribers. PNL Podcast is sponsored by the BOG team. It's a “Boots On Ground” (BOG) Paranormal investigation team doing local historic investigations in Newfoundland. BOG had two sold out Public Ghost hunts at the Torbay History House & Museum. PNL & BOG were also highlighted on local TV CBC & NTV news. If you find yourself coming back to the @PNL_BOG Team channel and you Like the content. Comment & Smash that SUBSCRIBE button. Gratitude. It all helps. Follow PNL Podcast & the BOG team on our Linktree ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://linktr.ee/paranormalnlpodcast⁠ NL believes in highlighting international Paranormal people, places, and things. PNL believes in promoting global Paranormal-Networking & Paranormal tourism. Thank-you to all the PNL Podcast Alumni-Network guests from season One 2023, Season Two 2024, Season Three 2025, Season Four 2026, and our UPRN & PNL subscribers. PNL Podcast is sponsored by the BOG team. It's a “Boots On Ground” (BOG) Paranormal investigation team doing local historic investigations in Newfoundland. BOG had two sold out Public Ghost hunts at the Torbay History House & Museum. PNL & BOG were also highlighted on local TV CBC & NTV news. If you find yourself coming back to the @PNL_BOG Team channel and you Like the content. Comment & Smash that SUBSCRIBE button. Gratitude. Alumni-Network & BOG Team member Robert Dumond. Download the BOG Team Music available now on all streaming music & social media platforms. Follow PNL Podcast & the BOG team on their Linktree & Smash those SUBSCRIBE buttons. Gratitude. It all helps ⁠ United Public Radio & UFO Paranormal Radio www.uprntalkradio.com

Symbiosis ep. 835 Roger Ley  was born and educated mainly in London, but spent some of his formative years in Saudi Arabia. He worked as an engineer in the oilfields of North Africa and in the North Sea before starting a career in higher education teaching computer-aided engineering. His stories have been published on a multiplicity of websites and broadcast on BBC Radio. He lives in Suffolk (UK). Visit his website at rogerley.co.uk More TTTV Stories by Roger Ley: https://talltaletv.com/tag/roger-ley/ His Amazon author page is at https://www.amazon.com/stores/Roger-Ley/author/B01KOVZFHM   ---- Listen Elsewhere ---- YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/TallTaleTV Website: http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- Story Submission ---- Got a short story you'd like to submit? Submission guidelines can be found at http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- About Tall Tale TV ---- Hi there! My name is Chris Herron and I'm an audiobook narrator. In 2015, I suffered from poor Type 1 diabetes control which lead me to become legally blind for almost a year. The doctors didn't give me much hope, predicting an 80% chance that I would never see again. But I refused to give up and changed my lifestyle drastically. Through sheer willpower (and an amazing eye surgeon) I beat the odds and regained my vision. During that difficult time, I couldn't read or write, which was devastating as they had always been a source of comfort for me since childhood. However, my wife took me to the local library where she read out the titles of audiobooks to me. I selected some of my favorite books, such as the Disc World series, Name of the Wind, Harry Potter, and more, and the audiobooks brought these stories to life in a way I had never experienced before. They helped me through the darkest period of my life and I fell in love with audiobooks. Once I regained my vision, I decided to pursue a career as an audiobook narrator instead of a writer. That's why I created Tall Tale TV, to support aspiring authors in the writing communities that I had grown to love before my ordeal. My goal was to help them promote their work by providing a promotional audio short story that showcases their writing skills to readers. They say the strongest form of advertising is word of mouth, so I offer a platform for readers to share these videos and help spread the word about these talented writers. Please consider sharing these stories with your friends and family to support these amazing authors. Thank you!   ---- legal ---- All stories on Tall Tale TV have been submitted in accordance with the terms of service provided on http://www.talltaletv.com or obtained with permission by the author. All images used on Tall Tale TV are either original or Royalty and Attribution free. Most stock images used are provided by http://www.pixabay.com , https://www.canstockphoto.com/ or created using AI. Image attribution will be declared only when required by the copyright owner. Common Affiliates are: Amazon, Smashwords  

A major traditional publisher is making a surprising move toward indie authors. We also cover a KDP payment change, new details about Audible's royalty model, and fresh opportunities for book promotion and AI discoverability. Plus, the Rapid-Fire Newsflash features author resources, timely discounts, and more publishing updates. Dibbly Create - https://DaleLinks.com/DibblyCreate (affiliate link) KDP Community: EUR Check Payments Changing in August 2026 - https://www.kdpcommunity.com/s/article/EUR-Check-Payments-Changing-in-August-2026?language=en_US ACX: Suggested Price - https://help.acx.com/s/article/suggested-price PublishDrive - https://DaleLinks.com/PublishDrive (affiliate link) Draft2Digital: The Draft2Digital Promotions Team - https://draft2digital.com/blog/the-draft2digital-promotions-team/ Publishers Weekly: Pocket Books Relaunched as Home for Self-Published Authors - https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/100756-pocket-books-relaunched-as-home-for-self-published-authors.html ALLi: How to Make Your Books Discoverable by AI, with Orna Ross and Rob Prime - https://selfpublishingadvice.org/podcast-how-to-make-your-books-discoverable-by-ai/ ALLi's Community Hub: SelfPubConnect - https://selfpubconnect.mn.co/ The Alliance of Independent Authors - https://DaleLinks.com/ALLi (affiliate link) Rapid-Fire Newsflash IngramSpark: A Definitive List of Writing Contests and Book Awards for 2026-2027 - https://www.ingramspark.com/blog/2025-book-awards-contests-for-indie-authors Authors Guild: Do Authors Need an LLC or S-Corporation? - https://authorsguild.org/resource/do-authors-need-an-llc-or-s-corporation/  Gemsy (the book review exchange platform) - https://DaleLinks.com/Gemsy (affiliate link) Use DALESUMMER50 for 50% off the annual plan (good till August 20, 2026) The Indy Author Podcast: Book Marketing on a Budget with Kevin Hall - Ep. 345 - https://youtu.be/tb7U7_15jzk?si=oBYwzp3hgpqw3WAG  The Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale - https://www.smashwords.com/shelves/promos The Self-Publishing with Dale Series (on Smashwords) - https://www.smashwords.com/books/byseries/113712   Subscribe to my email newsletter - https://DaleLinks.com/SignUp Join Channel Memberships - https://DaleLinks.com/Memberships Join Me on Discord - https://DaleLinks.com/Discord Check out my main YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@dalelroberts My Books - https://DaleLinks.com/MyBooks Wanna tip me? Visit https://dalelroberts.gumroad.com/coffee. Where noted, some outbound links financially benefit the channel through affiliate programs. I only endorse programs, products, or services I use and can stand confidently behind. These links do not affect your purchase price and greatly helps to building and growing this channel. Thanks in advance for understanding! - Dale L. Roberts

The Draft2Digital team discusses the Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale and how authors can get the most out of our Smashwords Sales as marketing opportunities.  //Draft2Digital is where you grow your Indie Author Career//   Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We'll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way. • Get started now: https://draft2digital.com/ • Learn the ins, the outs, and the all-arounds of indie publishing from the industry experts on the D2D Blog: https://Draft2Digital.com/blog   • Promote your books with our Universal Book Links from Books2Read: https://books2read.com   Make sure you bookmark https://D2DLive.com for links to live events, and to catch back episodes of the Self Publishing Insiders Podcast.

PNL UPRN Seg#89 Our Paranormal World Guest Monica Rawlins and Co-Host Guest author Rob Shelsky - July 21st, 2026 at 5pm EST Guest Bio: PNL Podcast (Paranormal NL) located in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), Canada with Host Jen Noseworthy -S4/E29-UPRN Segment #89. “Our Paranormal World” special Pre-recorded event with a YouTube Live-Chat Watch-Party on UPRN. PNL Host Jen Noseworthy talks with Guest: Monica Rawlins from Texas. PNL Podcast Alumni-Network member & Co-Host Guest author & MUFON investigator Rob Shelsky joins us. Guest Monica Rawlins is a lifelong researcher of the strange and unusual. Monica has been passionately investigating Bigfoot since 2002, blending curiosity, skepticism, and a dash of humor into everything she does. Whether she's exploring Native American legends for her writing, chasing down eerie historical accounts, or swapping spooky tales with guests, Monica brings a storyteller's heart, and a researcher's persistence to the weird and wonderful world of the unexplained. Follow the Island of Misfits and Monica at https://www.youtube.com/@MonicasParanormalWorld Co-Host Guest: Rob Shelsky was previously on PNL Podcast S3/E10 (UPRN#17);S4/E6 (UPRN#66);S4/E13(UPRN#72);S4/E19(UPRN#79);S4/E22(UPRN#82);S4/E23(UPRN#83);S4/E26(UPRN#86). Check them all out. Shelsky is an author & MUFON field investigator, has written over 80 Paranormal books, and was invited to speak at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Rob has a degree in science, has written a large number of magazine articles, and has been interviewed on a number of shows such as George Noory's Coast-To-Coast AM Radio show. Shelsky was also the on-camera UFO expert for a Travel Channel TV show. Find his books on Amazon Kindle, Smashwords & more. Follow Rob Shelsky on http://robshelsky.blogspot.com/ Shout out to PNL Podcast Alumni Network Members from S3 & S4 Bryan Bowden and Mark Eddy from Third Eye Live. Shout out to the Island of Misfits Podcaster Group Paranormal Paul with Paranormal Among Us; Tex's Front Porch; BigFoot Michigan Rob(BMR); Blondes and Boos; Greg Ogles from Relic Films; Brent Thomas with Paranormal Portal, and many more. Check out their work you'll love them all. Big shout out to UPRN Producer and Manager: Michelle Desrochers. Michelle is also host of The Outer Realm Radio & Beyond the Outer Realm on UPRN www.linktr.ee/michelledesrochers_ (JV) Jennifer Vallis-Noseworthy, RN (Jen) PNL Podcast & BOG Team Newfoundland & Labrador (NL), Canada Founder/Host: PNL ("Paranormal NL" Podcast) Founder/Team Lead: BOG ("Boots on Ground" Paranormal Investigation Team) Email: paranormal.nl.podcast@gmail.com Follow PNL & BOG Team at https://linktr.ee/paranormalnlpodcast and https://uprntalkradio.com/

Of Monsters and Mushrooms, Ch. 16 (book 1 NEW) ep. 829 A Big Box of Granny's Gold NOTE: This is a rewrite of book 1. Originally, 'Of Monsters and Mushrooms' was supposed to be a multi-part short story that transformed halfway through into a novel. This left the plot (and the voice acting, to be honest) lacking. We decided to go back and completely rewrite book one to fix any plot holes and bring the quality in line with the rest of the series. Listen to the new book one playlist here https://talltaletv.com/series-of-monsters-and-mushrooms-new/ or Listen to book one (NEW!) https://talltaletv.com/series-of-monsters-and-mushrooms-new/ Listen to book two http://talltaletv.com/series-of-tyrants-and-teakettles/ Listen to book three http://talltaletv.com/series-of-bandits-and-bad-magic/ Listen to book 3.5 https://talltaletv.com/series-an-interlude-of-intrigue/ Listen to book four https://talltaletv.com/series-of-portals-and-portents/ Listen to book five https://talltaletv.com/series-of-risk-and-relativity/   Listen to the original book one http://talltaletv.com/series-monsters-mushrooms/   ---- Listen Elsewhere ---- YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/TallTaleTV Website: http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- Story Submission ---- Got a short story you'd like to submit? Submission guidelines can be found at http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- About Tall Tale TV ---- Hi there! My name is Chris Herron and I'm an audiobook narrator. In 2015, I suffered from poor Type 1 diabetes control which lead me to become legally blind for almost a year. The doctors didn't give me much hope, predicting an 80% chance that I would never see again. But I refused to give up and changed my lifestyle drastically. Through sheer willpower (and an amazing eye surgeon) I beat the odds and regained my vision. During that difficult time, I couldn't read or write, which was devastating as they had always been a source of comfort for me since childhood. However, my wife took me to the local library where she read out the titles of audiobooks to me. I selected some of my favorite books, such as the Disc World series, Name of the Wind, Harry Potter, and more, and the audiobooks brought these stories to life in a way I had never experienced before. They helped me through the darkest period of my life and I fell in love with audiobooks. Once I regained my vision, I decided to pursue a career as an audiobook narrator instead of a writer. That's why I created Tall Tale TV, to support aspiring authors in the writing communities that I had grown to love before my ordeal. My goal was to help them promote their work by providing a promotional audio short story that showcases their writing skills to readers. They say the strongest form of advertising is word of mouth, so I offer a platform for readers to share these videos and help spread the word about these talented writers. Please consider sharing these stories with your friends and family to support these amazing authors. Thank you!   ---- legal ---- All stories on Tall Tale TV have been submitted in accordance with the terms of service provided on http://www.talltaletv.com or obtained with permission by the author. All images used on Tall Tale TV are either original or Royalty and Attribution free. Most stock images used are provided by http://www.pixabay.com , https://www.canstockphoto.com/ or created using AI. Image attribution will be declared only when required by the copyright owner. Common Affiliates are: Amazon, Smashwords

Spoken commissioned Edison Research at SSRS to compare how fiction audiobook listeners responded to AI and human narration. The results raise some major questions about what listeners value and where audiobook production may be heading. Kindlepreneur also uncovered a growing issue with Amazon categories, while Miblart, GetCovers, Book Brush, ProWritingAid, and more shared new tools and opportunities for authors. Dibbly Create - https://DaleLinks.com/DibblyCreate (affiliate link) Spoken - https://Spoken.press Edison Research at SSRS - https://www.spoken.press/edisonsurvey Variety: Surprise: Many People Prefer AI Audiobooks, New Study Finds - https://variety.com/2026/digital/news/spoken-ai-audiobooks-preferencenew-edison-research-study-1236810295/ What Audiobook Listeners Want Now: A Spoken Roundtable - https://variety.com/2026/digital/news/spoken-ai-audiobooks-preferencenew-edison-research-study-1236810295/ Kindlepreneur - https://kindlepreneur.com Publisher Rocket - https://DaleLinks.com/Rocket (affiliate link) Novel Report - https://DaleLinks.com/NovelReport (affiliate link) Miblart - https://DaleLinks.com/Miblart (affiliate link) Use coupon code DALE10 to get 10% off your next order Miblart: Book Cover Design 101 (guide) - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mwZP1pIiuECd2SzkHoD6_qvtnUQypyp9/view  GetCovers - https://DaleLinks.com/GetCovers (affiliate link) Use CHEERS20 for 20% off till July 17, 2026 GetCovers: Does Your Book Cover Perform at Its Best? - https://getcovers.com/cover-performance-quiz/  Rapid-Fire Newsflash ProWritingAid: Character Analysis - https://prowritingaid.com/features/character-analysis?afid=6615 The Indy Author Podcast: Chart Your Course Consulting - https://www.theindyauthor.com/chart-your-course Book Brush: BookMARCon 2026 - https://bookbrush.com/bookmarcon/ Book Brush - https://BookBrush.com Inside Scoop Live: EMAIL MARKETING FOR AUTHORS by Dale L. Roberts - https://youtu.be/gxVwwmf14ic?si=9Q1FnvPy9wUdQAsc Bradley Charbonneau | Repossible: I Asked a YouTube Expert What's Working in 2026 (TTS7E28) with @DaleLRoberts - https://youtu.be/Q-3pntcDaxs?si=CDYZJOlI3E2xk_h5 Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale - https://www.smashwords.com/shelves/promos Self-Publishing with Dale series (Smashwords) - https://www.smashwords.com/books/byseries/113712   Subscribe to my email newsletter - https://DaleLinks.com/SignUp Join Channel Memberships - https://DaleLinks.com/Memberships Join Me on Discord - https://DaleLinks.com/Discord Check out my main YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@dalelroberts My Books - https://DaleLinks.com/MyBooks Wanna tip me? Visit https://dalelroberts.gumroad.com/coffee. Where noted, some outbound links financially benefit the channel through affiliate programs. I only endorse programs, products, or services I use and can stand confidently behind. These links do not affect your purchase price and greatly helps to building and growing this channel. Thanks in advance for understanding! - Dale L. Roberts

PNL UPRN Seg#88 "Great Pyramids" Guest: Jan Hann with CoHost Rob Shelsky Tue July 14th, 2026 at 5pm EST Guest Bios: PNL Podcast (Paranormal NL) located in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), Canada with Host Jen Noseworthy -S4/E28-UPRN Segment #88. “Great Pyramid” special Pre-recorded event with a YouTube Live-Chat Watch-Party on UPRN. PNL Host Jen Noseworthy talks with Guest: Janet Fitzpatrick (AKA “Jan Hann”) from England. Co-Host Guest PNL Podcast Alumni-Network member & author Rob Shelsky from North Carolina joins the episode. Guest Janet (AKA Jan Hann) Jan was born in Hampshire, UK, and her first career began in London at 18 in the fashion world illustrating for Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, national newspapers, designing for Ladybird and Rhona Roy. Eventually Jan ran her own haute‑couture boutique in a world of pure material glamour. Later Jan married and for her wedding dress she did something very unusual. Jan unpicked a nun's habit and turned it into her wedding gown. Jan had always wanted to be a nun, and people were telling her it was the first sign of a calling. A few years after her marriage, between 1982 and 1984, Jan left to live in the beautiful county of Herefordshire and encountered Seraphim that changed the direction of her life forever. Discover what the great Pyramids have to offer. (Apologies in advance for Jan's audio as she's new to the Podcasting world). Follow Author Jan Hann on Amazon https://www.amazon.ca/Great-Pyramid-Initiation-Birthright-Inheritance-ebook/dp/B0GG5XTBNK Co-Host Guest: Rob Shelsky was previously on PNL Podcast S3/E10 (UPRN#17);S4/E6 (UPRN#66);S4/E13(UPRN#72);S4/E19(UPRN#79);S4/E22(UPRN#82);S4/E23(UPRN#83);S4/E26(UPRN#86). Check them all out. Shelsky is an author & MUFON field investigator, has written over 80 Paranormal books, and was invited to speak at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Rob has a degree in science, has written a large number of magazine articles, and has been interviewed on a number of shows such as George Noory's Coast-To-Coast AM Radio show. Shelsky was also the on-camera UFO expert for a Travel Channel TV show. Find his books on Amazon Kindle, Smashwords & more. Follow Rob Shelsky on http://robshelsky.blogspot.com/ Shout out to Quantum Health Ascension metaphysical Podcaster Karen Holton who was on PNL S4/E12 (UPRN Seg#72) Big shout out to UPRN Producer and Manager , Michelle Desrochers. Michelle is also host of The Outer Realm Radio & Beyond the Outer Realm on UPRN www.linktr.ee/michelledesrochers_ PNL Podcast is sponsored by the BOG team. It's a “Boots On Ground” (BOG) Paranormal investigation team doing local historic investigations in Newfoundland. BOG had two sold out Public Ghost hunts at the Torbay History House & Museum. PNL & BOG were also highlighted on local TV CBC & NTV news. If you find yourself coming back to the @PNL_BOG Team channel and you Like the content. Comment & Smash that SUBSCRIBE button. Gratitude. It all helps. Follow PNL Podcast & the BOG team on our Linktree ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://linktr.ee/paranormalnlpodcast⁠ PNL airs every Tue at 5pm EST on all digital platforms of UPRN (United Public Radio Network) 107.7 FM New Orleans & 105.3 Gulf Coast https://www.youtube.com/@PNL_Podcast/streams and ⁠⁠⁠https://www.uprntalkradio.com⁠⁠⁠ https://www.teepublic.com/stores/paranormal-nl-podcast Get seasonal & customized Merch like hats, hoodies, T-shirts, bags, mugs, logos, pillows, cell phone covers, stickers & more. Logos & Music designed by PNL Podcast Alumni-Network & BOG Team member Robert Dumond. Download the BOG Team Music available now on all streaming music & social media platforms. Follow PNL Podcast & the BOG team on their Linktree & Smash those SUBSCRIBE buttons. Gratitude. It all helps ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://linktr.ee/paranormalnlpodcast⁠ United Public Radio & UFO Paranormal Radio www.uprntalkradio.com

In this week's episode, we share nine tips and tricks to help indie authors manage their files. Since I now have 174 novels, file management has become important! This coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in the Dragonskull series at my Payhip store: JULYSKULL The coupon code is valid through July 27, 2026. So if you need a new ebook this summer, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 311 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is July 10th, 2026. Today we are discussing file management tips for indie authors. Before we get into that, we'll have Coupon of the Week and an update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. First up, let's do Coupon of the Week. This coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in the Dragonskull series at my Payhip store. That coupon code is JULYSKULL. As always, the coupon code and the links to the appropriate pages in my Payhip store will be available in the show notes for this episode. This coupon code is valid through July the 27th, 2026. So if you need a new ebook for this summer, we have got you covered. Now let's have an update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. As I mentioned last week, Blade of Thieves is now out. You can get it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Apple Books, Smashwords, Bookshop.org, and my own Payhip store. It is selling well and people seem to be enjoying it, so thank you all for that. Now that Blade of Thieves is out, my next main project is Cloak of Frost, which will be the 15th book in the Cloak Mage urban fantasy series. As of this recording, I am 52,000 words into it. I'm thinking the rough draft will be about 100,000 words. So if all goes well, I hope to have the book out in August. My secondary project is Blade of Visions, the sequel to Blade of Thieves, and I am 4,000 words into that. Once Cloak of Frost is finished, Blade of Visions will become my new main project. In audiobook news, recording is done for Dragon-Mage, the sixth book in the Rivah series, and that will be excellently narrated by Leanne Woodward. I just have to proof/listen to that and then we can submit it to QA and then it should be showing up on the audiobook stories in a few weeks. Recording has started on Cloak of Worlds, which will be [recorded by] Hollis McCarthy, and Blade of Thieves, which will be [recorded by] Brad Wills. So look for more news and updates about that in the coming weeks. So that is where I'm at with current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. 00:02:16 Main Topic of the Week: File Organization for Writers So let's move on to our main topic this week, file organization tips for writers. One of the inspirations for this episode was an episode of the sitcom Community, which is quite funny. In the episode, the college is making a movie based on a legal loophole because they have some archival footage of a suddenly popular actor. One of the characters, Jeff, becomes concerned that people aren't treating the movie as seriously as they would deserve. So he steals the laptop with the movie and sets out to edit it himself. However, Jeff doesn't know anything about editing a movie, so he watches a YouTube tutorial about how to edit videos. The first lesson is "Step 1: How to properly organize your files." Jeff rages that no, he just wants to learn how to edit movies. While realizing that proper file organization is vital in the age of digital video editing, maintaining a good file structure isn't quite as rigid for authors and writers as it would be for video editors. However, even though many people consider file structure to be old-fashioned or pointless in the age of Google Docs and AI, in my years working in IT, I found that people wasted many hours trying to find files unnecessarily. For example, I always flinch a little bit when I see someone whose desktop is just a wall of misplaced icons and thousands of documents stacked upon each other. I used to do tech support for someone who had the most amazing gift for the most unhelpful and un-useful file names, often with misspelled words. He would get very frustrated and angry that he couldn't find anything because he hadn't labeled files properly with good file names. Better file structures and file naming conventions would have saved them all that stress and time. It's not wise to have all your files stacked up on your desktop and hope for the best. As you grow as a writer, files suddenly become much more complicated than one single draft in a word processing file. There needs to be organization for audiobook files, cover art, marketing materials, research, and much more. Blade of Thieves was my 174th book. So if you think about it, that means I have 174 separate book files on my computer. Many of them have audiobooks. They all have cover art. The audiobooks have cover art, to say nothing of the hundreds of short stories I've written and all of that needs to be organized properly so I can find it when I need it to. So today we're going to talk about setting up and organizing file structures for your writing work. First of all, what do I mean by file structures? In traditional computing, files like Word documents and Excel spreadsheets are organized in folders. How you navigate through the folder structure on your computer or server to find the files is called a path. Much like with a real path on a hiking trail, you want the path to find a file in a folder to be as clear from junk and confusion as possible. Good file and folder naming is like setting up signs on that hiking trail to help you find the way. Setting up your folders and files correctly makes them easier to use, find, and share with others. So let's go through some tips on how to properly organize your writing files and save yourself much stress and hassle of trying to find things. #1: Make a plan before you begin. Instead of borrowing someone else's file structure, take some time to think about how you use your writing files every day. Do you have a lot of project files for each book like book research, cover ideas, mood boards, and so on? Do you do most of your writing collaboratively? Think about your working style, the amount of files you have, and what kind of files you have that need organizing. It helps to plan for flexibility and growth in the future as the amount of files you have grows. For example, if someone currently runs only ads on Amazon but wants to add other companies like Facebook or BookBub, it'd be messier to add files from those projects if everything in their advertising folder was all Amazon documents with no sub-folder for Amazon. Making an Amazon sub-folder right away in your advertising folder prevents confusion as you start to add other companies into your advertising strategy. What you design should be realistic and as simple to use as possible. Are you someone who makes grand and complicated plans, but then sees them fall by the wayside after a couple of weeks? Many people are. Good organization is something where it's easy to let the perfect be the enemy of the possible. If you design overly complicated file and folder structures and naming conventions that you can't remember without a 20-page guide, you're not very likely to keep up with it. It's better to make something simple that it's easy to remember. Carve out the time to do this with your full attention instead of trying to do it in bits and pieces on the fly. It may take anywhere from an hour to days, depending on how many writing files you have. At the very least, set up the initial folders in one chunk of time so the organization is in place before you start moving files around. #2: Clean up before you start organizing. Get rid of duplicate and obsolete files before starting to organize other files. It will save time and make the process easier. #3: File structure is supported by good naming. Versions and drafts should be numbered to find the most recent one. Be specific. "Second draft" or "Volume one" without a book title isn't helpful if there are multiple books with that name across multiple folders. If you are using dates, be sure to include day, month, and year because in 10 years, "March ads" is not going to make much sense without the context of a year. Be consistent in how you order month, date, and year in a file because being inconsistent with it could make for mixed up dates. #4: Version control. "Rough draft THIS ONE" is not a good name to indicate that this is the latest draft and never use "final" as part of a draft or project name until it's well and truly done. On both Windows, Mac, and Linux, you get 256 characters for file names and it's a good idea to use them to be as descriptive as possible in your file names. #5: Be consistent. Don't make a folder called "Fix These File Names Later" because guess what? That date won't come. In the meantime, you'll probably get annoyed trying to find one of those files that don't have a correct name. If you're struggling with remembering to use your folder and file names, either make yourself a one-page reminder guide or take it as a sign that you might have made your structure and naming conventions too complicated. Remember that simpler is always better. #6: Document it. As with so many areas of life, proper documentation will help you remember something in the future. Write out how your folders are going to be structured, what style and formatting you will use to name the folders and files, and give yourselves some examples to jog your memory. If you're sharing the files and folders with others, make sure to share documentation with them and go over the system with them. That will save much time later since you won't have to spend so much time explaining to people where to find things in your file structure. #7: Decluttering isn't just for your college t-shirts. Schedule a regular time monthly or quarterly to declutter and fix anything in your file structure that isn't working or isn't consistent or correct. Much like organizing a drawer of shirts, things will only stay in order if you keep up with putting in and taking things out using your system. #8: It should fix, not create problems. Your first attempt at file organization may not work once you've added more files or tried it out for a while. Reflect on what is causing problems, what you would like your system to be able to do, and what you dislike about your current system. Train others who will use it. For example, differences in month/[day]/year naming conventions between countries can lead to incorrect dates if it isn't clear what date style is being used. Abbreviations should be standard to prevent confusion. For example, United States state abbreviations could follow the US Postal Service Conventions instead of writing your own abbreviations. MN would be Minnesota instead of M-I-N-N or M-I-N-N-E-S. (Though this can cause a confusion if you're not accustomed to them since, for example, in the postal codes, people often get Missouri and Minnesota mixed up.) Tip #9: Sharing isn't always caring. You can set up password protection on folders and files you don't want to share with others, especially if you're in a shared storage space. Read-only access is a way to share documents with others without worrying about them changing the files. For example, I have read-only access set for my book files so that someone working on my series bibles can download them without editing or changing the files themselves. So instead of having to make extra folders and files that are safe for someone to use without changing, I just set read-only access to those files [for that user]. Now let's take a look at some pros and cons of some typical structures. I'm going to provide examples of three possible folder structures you could use for writing and give you some of the pros and cons for each. #1: Organizing by date. In this system, the year is the first file and more specific files like quarters and months are sub-folders. This system might work best if you write based on challenges or projects such as National Novel Writing Month where each year is its own project. If you're taking writing courses, organizing by date and then by semester or course also would make sense for many people. For many writers, however, this could be a difficult way to organize because then you have to remember what year each book was written and many books are written across several years or months. If you're sharing the files with others, then you have to give them information on the history of each book project so they know which folder dates to look at, which creates extra work and most likely confusion. Like for example, off the top of my head, I could tell you that Ghost in the Forge is the sixth book in the Ghost series. However, I couldn't remember what year or month it was written in. I think it would be 2012, maybe February of 2012, but I would not be able to confirm that without looking it up, which would mean trying to find the file for Ghost in the Forge if I needed it would be a bit of a challenge. #2: Organizing by book. In this system, each book has its own folder and then other aspects like drafts, marketing materials, research, and covers are subfolders. If you don't have a large volume of books and don't have many writing adjacent activity files like research and advertising and don't share files with others, often this is a pretty straightforward way to organize your writing files. #3: Organizing by project type. In this system, the type of project is the main subfolder and sub-folders such as the books, marketing materials, covers, and series bibles would be in folders instead of being organized by individual books. For example, there would be a folder for marketing images. Instagram would be a sub-folder, and then there would be sub-folders in that folder for specific images and ads or individual books. If you have a lot of marketing images, that can be easier than trying to remember what image was for a certain book. This file organization system is more complex than just organizing by book and could be hard to keep up without some dedication. It might be unnecessarily complex for someone who only has a handful of books and only a small amount of files. As your writing adjacent activities like marketing and social media grow, it can be easier to organize this way than just by individual books. It's also much easier to share folders in a granular way using this method. For example, if you hire an assistant to help with social media posts, you can give them access to the social media marketing folders without having to give them access to the folders that have the book files and drafts in them. Now, what do I do for my own file organization system? Now, my system has partly been thought out and partly developed organically over the 15 years I've been doing this. And I found for me, since I've written so many books and series, that the best organizational principle is to run by series. My rough drafts are not super organized because once I am done with the book, I tend not to look back at the rough draft files. So usually my rough drafts are sitting in individual folders for the series like Frostborn, Dragontiarna, Blades of Ruin, and so forth. I am much more organized in the final drafts. Each individual series has its own folder and within the series, each individual book has its own folder as well. To help with keeping things in order, I usually number the folders. So for example, in Blades of Ruin, the first folder within it would be 01 Blade of Flames, then 02 Blade of Shadows, 03 Blade of Storms, and so forth. Within the individual book folders, I have the final files in ePub and PDF form for the books along with the cover images for both ebook, audiobook, and paperback. However, as I mentioned earlier in the podcast, I don't have just the book files. I also have audiobook files, advertising files, and a very large photo library from a combination of stock photos, 3D renders, and photographs I have specifically taken over the years for the purpose of using for ebook covers and advertising materials. For advertising images and materials, like I said, I found the best organizing principle for me is by series. So I generally tend to just organize them by series. So Frostborn, Sevenfold Sword, Dragontiarna, and the Andomhaim books generally have just one folder of advertising images since I can use the advertising image for both Frostborn: the Gray Knight and Sevenfold Sword: Champion. For my audiobooks, I keep those on a separate drive because they eat up a lot of space. But then I just have them organized out by book and series, which is pretty easy when I need to find something. For my stock photos, I do have those pretty well organized and again, in a separate drive, which I back up separately. I divide out the images by type. So I have a folder for castles, a folder for medieval or ancient cities, a folder for modern cities, a folder for fireballs and so forth. And so if I'm making a book cover image and I think, hmm, I want a sword, I can go into the swords folder and look at appropriate pictures of swords until I find one that would work for the project. How this [has] changed over time is I've had to become a bit more organized with the files because I started using Vellum, which generates a separate file of its own. So then I had to make sure that those were organized into proper files. I used to keep all my stock photos in just one big folder that quickly became unmanageable. So I once took two days to properly organize these stock photos. Just keeping all the rough drafts in one big folder for the series has worked pretty well for me because once I am done with the rough draft and have turned into the final draft, I just ignore the rough draft file and any changes that need to be made are obviously made to the final draft file. I also used to keep all the cover images in one folder for some reason and that was a bad idea. So then I started keeping the specific cover image in the folder with the specific book and that has worked out well. Would this be something I would recommend to someone just starting out? I think so. You can obviously get more complicated with this and my file structure is pretty simple overall, but it works for me. I can find anything I need to pretty quickly. In fact, my folder structure is deep enough I find sometimes that I get halfway down the folder structure and forget what I am looking for before I find it, which is a separate problem from folder organization. But I've stuck to this pretty consistently over the last 15 years and it's worked well for me. So I think I could recommend this to someone starting out. I'd have a folder for your rough drafts and then a folder with separate folders within it for your final drafts. Conclusion File organization is not glamorous, but as any records manager at a US government agency can tell you, it is extremely important for finding, organizing, and preserving what you create. Searching for files is not a writing adjacent activity that you want to take up your time and you definitely don't want the stress of losing something that you worked on for a long time by naming and storing it incorrectly. Finally, I want to close out with a reminder that however you set up your writing files and organizing them, they absolutely need to be backed up on a regular basis. I would recommend using a combination of cloud and local backups since they reinforce each other. If heaven forbid your house explodes and you lose your local backups, you still have your cloud backups. And if your cloud provider goes down or gets hacked or something, you still have your local backups. So no matter how you organize your files or how well organized they are, you definitely want to back them up on a very regular basis. So that is it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all of the back episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and we'll see you all next week.  

Telling Stories ep. 833 J.S.Watts is a British poet and novelist who weaves the fantastical and the literary with other vibrant strands to create glowing, multi-faceted writing.  Her poetry, short stories and non-fiction appear in a wide variety of publications in Britain, the US and abroad and have been broadcast on BBC and Independent Radio. She has edited various magazines and anthologies and performed her poetry across England, Scotland and Wales, but not yet in Ireland (should anyone from Ireland be reading this). Along the way, she has won various awards and had honourable mentions in others, but nothing so outstanding that she wants to make a big thing out of it. J.S.'s three poetry collections, Cats and Other Myths, Years Ago You Coloured Me and Underword, are published by Lapwing Publications, as is her multi-award nominated SF poetry pamphlet, Songs of Steelyard Sue. Her poetry pamphlet, The Submerged Sea, was published by Dempsey & Windle. Her novels, A Darker Moon – dark fiction, Witchlight, Old Light and Elderlight – an urban fantasy trilogy, are published in the US and UK by Vagabondage Press.  For further details see her website: http://www.jswatts.co.uk J.S. also has a Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/J.S.Watts.page and is on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/j-s-watts.bsky.social   This story was published in the Lorelei Signal in July 2025   ---- Listen Elsewhere ---- YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/TallTaleTV Website: http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- Story Submission ---- Got a short story you'd like to submit? Submission guidelines can be found at http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- About Tall Tale TV ---- Hi there! My name is Chris Herron and I'm an audiobook narrator. In 2015, I suffered from poor Type 1 diabetes control which lead me to become legally blind for almost a year. The doctors didn't give me much hope, predicting an 80% chance that I would never see again. But I refused to give up and changed my lifestyle drastically. Through sheer willpower (and an amazing eye surgeon) I beat the odds and regained my vision. During that difficult time, I couldn't read or write, which was devastating as they had always been a source of comfort for me since childhood. However, my wife took me to the local library where she read out the titles of audiobooks to me. I selected some of my favorite books, such as the Disc World series, Name of the Wind, Harry Potter, and more, and the audiobooks brought these stories to life in a way I had never experienced before. They helped me through the darkest period of my life and I fell in love with audiobooks. Once I regained my vision, I decided to pursue a career as an audiobook narrator instead of a writer. That's why I created Tall Tale TV, to support aspiring authors in the writing communities that I had grown to love before my ordeal. My goal was to help them promote their work by providing a promotional audio short story that showcases their writing skills to readers. They say the strongest form of advertising is word of mouth, so I offer a platform for readers to share these videos and help spread the word about these talented writers. Please consider sharing these stories with your friends and family to support these amazing authors. Thank you!   ---- legal ---- All stories on Tall Tale TV have been submitted in accordance with the terms of service provided on http://www.talltaletv.com or obtained with permission by the author. All images used on Tall Tale TV are either original or Royalty and Attribution free. Most stock images used are provided by http://www.pixabay.com , https://www.canstockphoto.com/ or created using AI. Image attribution will be declared only when required by the copyright owner. Common Affiliates are: Amazon, Smashwords  

PNL UPRN Seg#87 "UFOs in the Bible" Guest Rev. Michael J.S. Carter. Co-Host Rob Shelsky Tue July 7th, 2026 @5pm EST Guest Bio: PNL Podcast (Paranormal NL) located in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), Canada with Host Jen Noseworthy -S4/E27-UPRN Segment #87. “UFOs in the Bible” special Pre-recorded event with a YouTube Live-Chat Watch-Party on UPRN. PNL Host Jen Noseworthy talks with Ancient Aliens Guest: Rev. Michael J.S. Carter (from North Carolina). PNL Podcast Alumni Network Member joins as a Co-Host: MUFON investigator & author Rob Shelsky (from North Carolina). Guest Rev. Michael J. S. Carter is originally from Baltimore, Maryland. He moved to New York City in 1980 and lived there for 27 years, working as a professional actor before moving to North Carolina. Michael is an ordained Interfaith Minister, with a BA, and a Masters In Divinity. Michael was chaplain at various hospitals and served various Unitarian Universalist Congregations. Michael is an anti-racism trainer, and was even recognized by a former President. Michael is a UFO Contactee, and authored Alien Scriptures: Extraterrestrials In The Holy Bible. Michael has appeared with George Noory on Coast To Coast radio show & TV show, “Beyond Belief” on Gaia Other TV appearances include being a regular consultant on The History Channel's Ancient Aliens Series. Michael has appeared on America's Greatest Mysteries hosted by Lawrence Fishburne; and was featured in UFO TV Documentaries The Real 4400; UFOs the Hidden Evidence; and Steven Spielberg's Abduction Diaries (which was the precursor to Spielberg's “Taken.” Rev. Carters three other books include: A New World If You Can Take iT: God,Extraterrestrials, and The Evolution of Human Consciousness; God Consciousness: A 30 Day MeditationManual for God Conscious Thinking; The Metaphysics of Spiritual Healing and the Power of AffirmativePrayer; and Enlightenment. Rev. Carter serves as the minister for the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Swannanoa Valley. Follow him at https://michaeljscarter.com/ Co-Host Guest: Rob Shelsky was previously on PNL Podcast S3/E10 (UPRN#17);S4/E6 (UPRN#66);S4/E13(UPRN#72);S4/E19(UPRN#79);S4/E22(UPRN#82);S4/E23(UPRN#83);S4/E26(UPRN#86). Check them all out. Shelsky is an author & MUFON field investigator, has written over 80 Paranormal books, and was invited to speak at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Rob has a degree in science, has written a large number of magazine articles, and has been interviewed on a number of shows such as George Noory's Coast-To-Coast AM Radio show. Shelsky was also the on-camera UFO expert for a Travel Channel TV show. Find his books on Amazon Kindle, Smashwords & more. Follow Rob Shelsky on http://robshelsky.blogspot.com/ Shout out to PNL Podcast Alumni Network Members from S3 & S4 Mark Eddy and Sir Bryan Bowden from Third Eye Live. Big shout out to UPRN Manager & Producer: Michelle Desrochers. Michelle is also host of The Outer Realm Radio & Beyond the Outer Realm on UPRN www.linktr.ee/michelledesrochers_ PNL believes in highlighting international Paranormal people, places, and things. PNL believes in promoting global Paranormal-Networking & Paranormal tourism. Thank-you to all the PNL Podcast Alumni-Network guests from season One 2023, Season Two 2024, Season Three 2025, Season Four 2026, and our UPRN & PNL subscribers. PNL airs every Tue at 5pm EST on all digital platforms of UPRN (United Public Radio Network) 107.7 FM New Orleans & 105.3 Gulf Coast https://www.youtube.com/@PNL_Podcast/streams and ⁠⁠⁠https://www.uprntalkradio.com

In this week's episode, we take a look at 5 lessons indie authors can learn from tradpub. This coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Dragonskull: Crown of the Gods, Book #9 in the Dragonskull series, (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills) at my Payhip store: JULYCROWN The coupon code is valid through July 20, 2026. So if you need a new audiobook this summer, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 310 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is July 2nd, 2026 and today we are discussing five lessons indie authors can learn from traditional publishing. Given how negative I've been about traditional publishing over the years, that may be a bit of a surprise, but we will find out more later. We will also have a Coupon of the Week and a progress update at my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. So let's start off with Coupon of the Week. This week's coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Dragonskull: Crown of the Gods, Book #9 of my Dragonskull series (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills) at my Payhip store. That coupon code is JULYCROWN. As always, you can get the coupon code and the links to my Payhip store in the show notes for this episode. This coupon code will be valid through July 20th, 2026, so if you need a new audiobook for your summer travels, we have got you covered. And now for an update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. I'm pleased to report that Blade of Thieves is now done and published. Once this episode goes out, you should be able to get it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Apple Books, Smashwords, bookshop.org, and my own Payhip store. It's starting off strong, so thank you to everyone who is reading and enjoying it. Thank you for everyone being patient while I got to it. Now that Blade of Thieves is finished, my next main project will be Cloak of Frost, the 15th book in the Cloak Mage urban fantasy novel series. I'm currently 24,000 words into that. I think the rough draft will be about 100,000 words. If all goes well, I hope to have that out in August. My new secondary project is now Blade of Visions, which of course will be the direct sequel to Blade of Thieves. As of this recording, I am 1,000 words into it. In audiobook news, Leanne Woodward has started recording Dragon-Mage and Hollis McCarthy is currently recording Cloak of Worlds, which was the 13th book in the Cloak Mage series. In a few days after this, Brad Wills is going to start recording on Blade of Thieves. So we should have a bunch of new audiobooks coming up for you to listen to before too much longer, if all goes well. So that is where I'm at with my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. 00:02:23 Main Topic of the Week: 5 Things Indie Authors Can Learn From TradPub Now onto our main topic this week, five lessons indie authors can learn from TradPub. Given how critical I have been and continue to be of traditional publishing on this blog and my podcast, this might come as a bit of a surprise and this should be in no way an endorsement for anyone to pursue traditional publishing. My blunt opinion is that if you are a new author starting out, you are much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much better served going indie instead of traditionally publishing. You will retain ownership over your IP. You will potentially be able to make more money and you won't have to deal with the various problems endemic in traditional publishing. Occasionally I see on social media a newish author trying to get an agent or being excited that an agent responded to their query letter or whatever. I don't do this because arguing with strangers on the internet is a waste of time, but I want to tell them, "Don't do this. Go indie. You'll be much happier in the long run and you won't have to worry about your agents stealing all your money," of which there have been documented cases that have happened. Now with all those caveats aside, traditional publishing has lasted for a long time. There is a reason that traditional publishing has survived so many changes and continues in many different forms to this day. And while I wouldn't recommend that you pursue traditional publishing, there are things you can learn from it to enhance your career as an indie author. So today I'm going to talk about five things you can learn from TradPub as an indie author. #1: Your book doesn't exist in a vacuum. Many authors are resistant to their book being put into categories or being paired with similar books. I've frequently noticed that aspiring and first time authors are particularly resistant to the either idea of their book best fitting into a single category or being similar to another authors. It doesn't mean that your book isn't creative or unique, it's accepting the reality of bookselling. Even in the modern indie era, books are still very much classified by a limited number of categories on book sites and ads are built on comparing your books to other authors. Focus on the category that best represents your book if it spans genres and focus extra effort on finding similar authors to help potential readers understand what type of book you are offering. For example, I had this problem with Cloak Games and Cloak Mage for a couple of years because the series is primarily an urban fantasy, but it's also set 300 years in the future. There are increasing science fiction elements in the series. The protagonist has visited several different planets and so forth, so trying to cram that all into an ad description or an ad targeting is a difficult proposition. I had better success when I started describing the series as the Dresden Files crossed with the Shadowrun RPG, which readers of it will say probably captures it quite well and then in the marketing, I always focus on the urban fantasy elements. I don't even mention the sci-fi elements because I think that's a fair representation of the book is that it's 80% urban fantasy with some sci-fi stuff in the background. So that is an example from my own books that I've done where I have emphasized the urban fantasy and contemporary fantasy aspect of Cloak Mage in the advertising and then just didn't mention the rest of the stuff in the other advertising. Traditional publishers even create the feeling of similarity with their own books by using the same artists and styles for their book covers. There was a post going around last year showing all the romance books with blue covers, cartoon figures facing each other while outside, and swooping white font. Book genres have conventions and trends in their covers. Instead of fighting that, you might want to take a time to look at the best sellers in your category to take note of what's working for other authors in your category. A book cover doesn't have to match everything about your book. It just has to give people a quick impression of what the book is about so it makes sense and doesn't confuse people and gives them something that is least in line with genre expectations. My rule of thumb for book covers is always that it should, in a space of two seconds of looking at a book cover, it should tell you the title of the book, the author of the book, and the genre of the book and it should do this all in an aesthetically pleasing and attractive matter. Those are essentially the four rules for a successful book cover, that you look at it and you can within two seconds know the title, the author, the genre, and it's presented in aesthetically pleasing and attractive manner. So to get a good book cover for your category, it would be a good idea to look at the other books in your category and see if you can find a design that while it doesn't copy the other designs, nonetheless follows some of the same design rules. #2: Timing matters. Traditional publishing is largely based on three seasons: spring, summer, and fall. By building the release schedule this way, it offers reliability for booksellers and libraries and each season has a general theme that makes it easier to market new releases. For example, fall has a lot of prestige literary fiction titles while summer might focus more on beach reads and SATs study guides. Indie publishing isn't beholden to this type of thinking about scheduling book releases, but it's smart to learn from what has worked for traditional publishing over the last couple centuries. Book sales in the US are generally a little softer in January and the summer and peak around the winter gift giving season. Thrillers often get published in September and October so they can get the "spooky season" boost from people looking for Halloween adjacent reads. It makes sense to look at the rhythm of what has been working for bookselling in your genre and see if there's a time that is especially advantageous for you to put out your book where you're just starting out and don't have very much in the way of your own sales data yet. For myself, I found what indie authors really need to watch out for is holidays. Publishing a book the day before Christmas or the day after Christmas is not a good idea. One of the reasons I didn't rush to get Blade of Thieves out the last week of June is because a lot of people will be taking the last week of June off because it leads right into the 4th of July holiday, which is why Blade of Thieves came out after 4th of July. I'd say the weakest times in my experience for indie authors are generally on November, December (because of the late Christmas), and then August and September also tend to be fairly weak because that is back to school time, which is very often very expensive and a financial strain for many people, in addition to their time and energy being focused on things other than recreational reading. Also, I've been doing this long enough to say this with some authority is that presidential election years, especially in the run up to the election are always pretty weak times in 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024, especially 2024. I did notice a dip in sales as we approached the election and the general intensity of the campaigning and the ads and everything picked up. I've come to realize that a significant portion of the reading public, especially in the United States, also overlaps with the very politically involved public. I mean, it's not a perfect Venn Diagram, but there is significant overlap. So as the election season heats up, you can expect to see a drop in sales. I honestly wonder if traditional publishing has that as well. I would look into that at some point. So I'd say for an indie author, be mindful of holidays and don't be alarmed if you see a sales dip before and during the holidays and it might be a good idea if you have a big release to wait until after the holiday to push it. Tip #3: If it's a product, make it a good one. Another thing that many authors reject is the notion that their book is a product to be sold and not just a piece of art. Publishing isn't shy about thinking of their books as products with units just like a can of beans on a shelf and when you're shipping hundreds of thousands of books across the world, the general process isn't all that different (with the possible exception that books are generally quite heavy). When you remove some of that emotional attachment to a book and think of it as a product, it becomes a little easier to work with. And what do I mean by that? It's much easier to tear a book apart in editing, change the cover, fix the blurb, and make ads by thinking of the book as a product that exists next to similar products instead of a special and unique masterpiece. If your book is a product, then make it a good one. Take the time to improve it and look at it from an outsider's perspective. Seek feedback, just like TradPub does through the use of advanced reader copies. Tip #4: Deadlines work. One thing traditionally published authors usually have that indie authors do not is a deadline. The TradPub book is set to be released on a specific date and missing the deadline is a pretty efficient way to get your publisher upset with you as a TradPub writer since that release date has likely been publicized and changing release dates could impact how your book sells against other books. The problem with not having a set deadline for finishing a book is that many indie authors fall prey to waiting for inspiration or letting themselves get into the habit of undisciplined work time. They let, as I often say, the perfect to be the enemy of the possible, or just as importantly, the finished. Some people need an external deadline and pressure from other people in order to work for any meaningful amount of time. It's best to know yourself and if you're the kind of person who needs some structure to work well, to find a way to put that structure and those deadlines into your work as a writer. You can try making deadlines and sharing them with someone else in a form of accountability buddy or making a set of rewards based on making your own deadlines. Plotting out your release schedule at the beginning of another year is a way of doing this. Tip #5: Paper books still matter. A surprising area of opportunity for TradPub has been print books. For some categories like children's books or cookbooks, ebooks have never been the driving force and the demand for physical copies over ebooks has remained fairly consistent. Some of the trend of readers wanting more print books started in the COVID era when people were spending entire days on Zoom meetings and staring at computer screens for work or school and needed a break from their screens in their leisure time. Bookstagram and BookTok have also driven this print trend. These influencers typically use physical books in their photos and videos and they are often arranged in various athletically pleasing ways. Publishers responded with a slew of special and exclusive print editions for this market and existing fans of the series. They often have sprayed edges or color illustrations and are so prized by collectors that some have the [sprayed edges] on the books facing out in their bookshelves or books on stands to display certain interior illustrations. Traditional publishing did not give up on print and neither should you as an indie author. Most of your income as an indie author is probably going to come from some form of ebooks, but print should not be overlooked. Some categories do better than others in the print format, but many readers will want the print version of a favorite book they have already read as an ebook or just prefer print as their preferred reading format. Fortunately, the days of having to buy a large amount of print books and keep them in your garage has passed for indie authors. Many companies, including Amazon, Ingram Spark, and Draft2Digital offer print on demand services for indie authors so you don't have to spend a large sum of money printing your own books. It's worth investigating how the print on demand format might work for you as an indie author. One thing I should also mention is that if you write nonfiction, it's also a very good idea to have a print edition because for certain kinds of nonfiction books, the reader will keep the nonfiction book and reference it again and again and keep it for years as opposed to a fiction book where the reader might read it once and be done with it and if it's not their favorite book, they might not need a print edition. My Linux Command Line Beginner's Guide is also available in print and is my overall bestselling print book because it's essentially a tutorial for learning the basics of the Linux command line and it makes sense therefore that people would want the physical copy as a quick reference when doing things in the Linux command line. In conclusion, there's no point in throwing out the centuries of experience that traditional publishers have in selling books. Although the publishing industry continues to change (and although I still think you're better off self-publishing than pursuing a TradPub deal), it's wise to look at things that are working there and adapt them to suit your needs (although once again, I still think you're better off self-publishing). So that is it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave your view on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and we'll see you all next week.

Fake IngramSpark websites are targeting authors, and one case hit close to home in my own Discord community. IngramSpark also shared updates on AI, metadata, schools, libraries, and publishing fraud. We'll also cover the Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale, Kindlepreneur's latest keyword advice, new indie author survey data from Written Word Media, and so much more. Dibbly Create - https://DaleLinks.com/DibblyCreate (affiliate link) IngramSpark: Why Children's Book Authors Need More Than Just a Great Story to Reach Schools & Libraries - https://www.ingramspark.com/blog/why-childrens-book-authors-need-more-than-just-a-great-story-to-reach-schools-and-libraries IngramSpark's AI Strategy: What It Means for Authors and Publishers - https://www.ingramspark.com/blog/ingramsparks-ai-strategy-what-it-means-for-authors-and-publishers  IngramSpark: Publishing Fraud Alert - https://www.ingramspark.com/fraudalert Writer Beware: The First Clue to an Email Scam May Be the Address - https://writerbeware.blog/2026/06/30/the-first-clue-to-an-email-scam-may-be-the-address Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale - https://www.smashwords.com/shelves/promos Self-Publishing with Dale series on Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/books/byseries/113712 Keywords for Books by Dale L. Roberts - https://DaleLinks.com/KeywordsBook Marketing and Promotion for Authors by Dale L. Roberts - https://DaleLinks.com/PromoBook Reviews for Books by Dale L. Roberts - https://DaleLinks.com/ReviewsBook Kindlepreneur: How to Find Keywords That Sell Books: Broad vs Niche Keywords - https://kindlepreneur.com/broad-vs-niche-keywords/ Written Word Media: What 600 Indie Authors Just Told Us About 2026 (Mid-Year Survey) - https://youtu.be/-twI11KNYWI?si=GF1ynSrMWPuGmm33 CraveBooks - https://DaleLinks.com/CraveBooks (affiliate link) Rapid-Fire Newsflash Spotify for Authors: - https://authors.spotify.com/ Hidden Gems Books: Turn Your Book Into a Trophy with a Special Edition - https://www.hiddengemsbooks.com/turn-book-into-trophy-with-special-edition/ Miblart: How to Choose the Right Cover Design Style for Your Genre - https://miblart.com/blog/how-to-choose-cover-design-style/ Spoken - https://Spoken.press   Subscribe to my email newsletter - https://DaleLinks.com/SignUp Join Channel Memberships - https://DaleLinks.com/Memberships Join Me on Discord - https://DaleLinks.com/Discord Check out my main YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@dalelroberts My Books - https://DaleLinks.com/MyBooks Wanna tip me? Visit https://dalelroberts.gumroad.com/coffee. Where noted, some outbound links financially benefit the channel through affiliate programs. I only endorse programs, products, or services I use and can stand confidently behind. These links do not affect your purchase price and greatly helps to building and growing this channel. Thanks in advance for understanding! - Dale L. Roberts

No One Is Coming ep. 832 Rosemary Selking is a Midwestern native and a Kansas City transplant. When she's not working her day job in international logistics, you can most likely find her indulging in fiber arts or playing cozy video games such as Skyrim. She does not have any pets but she does have two sons and a weighted blanket, which is basically the same thing. You can find her other works with Tales to Terrify and The Rialto Book Review.   ---- Listen Elsewhere ---- YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/TallTaleTV Website: http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- Story Submission ---- Got a short story you'd like to submit? Submission guidelines can be found at http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- About Tall Tale TV ---- Hi there! My name is Chris Herron and I'm an audiobook narrator. In 2015, I suffered from poor Type 1 diabetes control which lead me to become legally blind for almost a year. The doctors didn't give me much hope, predicting an 80% chance that I would never see again. But I refused to give up and changed my lifestyle drastically. Through sheer willpower (and an amazing eye surgeon) I beat the odds and regained my vision. During that difficult time, I couldn't read or write, which was devastating as they had always been a source of comfort for me since childhood. However, my wife took me to the local library where she read out the titles of audiobooks to me. I selected some of my favorite books, such as the Disc World series, Name of the Wind, Harry Potter, and more, and the audiobooks brought these stories to life in a way I had never experienced before. They helped me through the darkest period of my life and I fell in love with audiobooks. Once I regained my vision, I decided to pursue a career as an audiobook narrator instead of a writer. That's why I created Tall Tale TV, to support aspiring authors in the writing communities that I had grown to love before my ordeal. My goal was to help them promote their work by providing a promotional audio short story that showcases their writing skills to readers. They say the strongest form of advertising is word of mouth, so I offer a platform for readers to share these videos and help spread the word about these talented writers. Please consider sharing these stories with your friends and family to support these amazing authors. Thank you!   ---- legal ---- All stories on Tall Tale TV have been submitted in accordance with the terms of service provided on http://www.talltaletv.com or obtained with permission by the author. All images used on Tall Tale TV are either original or Royalty and Attribution free. Most stock images used are provided by http://www.pixabay.com , https://www.canstockphoto.com/ or created using AI. Image attribution will be declared only when required by the copyright owner. Common Affiliates are: Amazon, Smashwords  

Upon their Backs they Heave the Earth ep. 831 Nick Badot (he/him) is an Irish-Belgian writer of fiction and poetry. His work has appeared or is upcoming in Impossible Worlds, Factor Four, Flash Fiction Online, Solstitia, Andromeda Spaceways, and Merganser among others. He has a penchant for all things speculative, mythological, macabre and fantastical.  Bluesky: @nickbadot This story was first published in Impossible Worlds Issue VI, Dec 2024   ---- Listen Elsewhere ---- YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/TallTaleTV Website: http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- Story Submission ---- Got a short story you'd like to submit? Submission guidelines can be found at http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- About Tall Tale TV ---- Hi there! My name is Chris Herron and I'm an audiobook narrator. In 2015, I suffered from poor Type 1 diabetes control which lead me to become legally blind for almost a year. The doctors didn't give me much hope, predicting an 80% chance that I would never see again. But I refused to give up and changed my lifestyle drastically. Through sheer willpower (and an amazing eye surgeon) I beat the odds and regained my vision. During that difficult time, I couldn't read or write, which was devastating as they had always been a source of comfort for me since childhood. However, my wife took me to the local library where she read out the titles of audiobooks to me. I selected some of my favorite books, such as the Disc World series, Name of the Wind, Harry Potter, and more, and the audiobooks brought these stories to life in a way I had never experienced before. They helped me through the darkest period of my life and I fell in love with audiobooks. Once I regained my vision, I decided to pursue a career as an audiobook narrator instead of a writer. That's why I created Tall Tale TV, to support aspiring authors in the writing communities that I had grown to love before my ordeal. My goal was to help them promote their work by providing a promotional audio short story that showcases their writing skills to readers. They say the strongest form of advertising is word of mouth, so I offer a platform for readers to share these videos and help spread the word about these talented writers. Please consider sharing these stories with your friends and family to support these amazing authors. Thank you!   ---- legal ---- All stories on Tall Tale TV have been submitted in accordance with the terms of service provided on http://www.talltaletv.com or obtained with permission by the author. All images used on Tall Tale TV are either original or Royalty and Attribution free. Most stock images used are provided by http://www.pixabay.com , https://www.canstockphoto.com/ or created using AI. Image attribution will be declared only when required by the copyright owner. Common Affiliates are: Amazon, Smashwords  

PNL UPRN Seg#85 Paranormal Summer Guest Natalie Smearman CoHost Rob Shelsky Tue June 23rd, 2026at 5pm EST Guest Bios: In this PNL (Paranormal NL) Podcast from Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), Canada: “Paranormal Summer” Pre-recorded event with a YouTube Live-Chat Watch-Party on UPRN. Host Jen Noseworthy talks with Guest Natalie Smearman from Florida, USA. PNL Podcast Alumni-Network member & Guest Co-Host: Rob Shelsky (from North Carolina) joins the episode. Natalie Smearman is a mom, and bonus mom doing investigations throughout the US. She began experiencing Paranormal activity when she was 3 years old. Natalie started studying Bigfoot investigation methods 14 years ago, and started field investigations in 2024. Natalie is part of a Podcaster Group called The Island of Misfits. Natalie is currently filming with Relic Films with Greg Ogles (Who was on PNL S4/E8). She filmed “The Vanished” which was premiered on January 31st 2026 at a paracon, Natalie finished filming LBL “The Land Between the Lakes” in November, 2025; and also completed the filming of Beyond the Ordinary talk show with Relic Films. Natalie co-hosts multiple podcasts such as: “Paranormal Among Us” with Paranormal Paul (Who was on PNL S4/E17), NCI, and “Blondes and Boos” with Krista M. Tweedy and Brandi Butcher & new addition Boo -Marylynn Bast (Who were on PNL S3/E41). Natalie also co-Hosts NCI- North Carolina Investigators, and is part of their investigation group. Follow Natalie Smearman at https://www.facebook.com/natalie.smearman.affiliate Co-Host Guest: Rob Shelsky was previously on PNL Podcast in Season 3 and 4. Selsky is an author & MUFON field investigator. Shelsky's written over 80 books and was invited to speak at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Rob has a degree in science, and has also written a large number of articles for magazines. Rob has been interviewed on a number of shows, including George Noory's Coast-To-Coast AM Radio show. Shelsky was the on-camera UFO expert for a Travel Channel TV show. Find his books on Amazon Kindle, Smashwords & more. Follow Rob Shelsky on http://robshelsky.blogspot.com/ Shout out the Island of Misfits Podcaster Group whom most of are PNL Podcast Alumni Network Members from S3 & S4-Tex's Front Porch, BMR- Bigfoot Michigan Rob, Greg Ogles from Relic Films, Paranormal Paul with Paranormal Among Us, Brent Thomas with Paranormal Portal, Monica Rawlins from Our Paranormal World and many more. Check out all of their work. You'll love them Big Shout out to UPRN Producer and Manager, Michelle Desrochers. Michelle is also host of The Outer Realm Radio & Beyond the Outer Realm on UPRN www.linktr.ee/michelledesrochers_ PNL (Paranormal NL) Podcast is sponsored by the BOG team. It's a “Boots On Ground” (BOG) Paranormal investigation team doing local historic investigations in Newfoundland. PNL airs every Tue at 5pm EST on all digital platforms of UPRN (United Public Radio Network) 107.7 FM New Orleans & 105.3 Gulf Coast ⁠⁠https://www.uprntalkradio.com⁠⁠ JV Noseworthy (Jen) PNL Podcast & BOG Team Newfoundland & Labrador (NL), Canada Founder/Host: PNL ("Paranormal NL" Podcast) Founder/Team Lead: BOG ("Boots on Ground" Paranormal Investigation Team) Email: paranormal.nl.podcast@gmail.com Follow PNL & BOG Team at https://linktr.ee/paranormalnlpodcast and https://uprntalkradio.com/

Felony ep. 830 Roger Ley has self-published eight novels and one anthology of speculative stories. He was born and educated mainly in London, but spent some of his formative years in Saudi Arabia. Later, he worked as an engineer in the oilfields of North Africa and in the North Sea before starting a career in higher education teaching computer-aided engineering. His early articles appeared in publications including The Guardian, Reader's Digest, The Oldie, and Best of British. His short stories have been published on a multiplicity of websites and broadcast on BBC Radio. He lives in Suffolk (UK). Visit his website at rogerley.co.uk His Amazon author page is at https://www.amazon.com/stores/Roger-Ley/author/B01KOVZFHM More TTV Stories by Roger Ley: https://talltaletv.com/tag/roger-ley/ 'Guardian' by Roger Ley: https://talltaletv.com/guardian/   ---- Listen Elsewhere ---- YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/TallTaleTV Website: http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- Story Submission ---- Got a short story you'd like to submit? Submission guidelines can be found at http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- About Tall Tale TV ---- Hi there! My name is Chris Herron and I'm an audiobook narrator. In 2015, I suffered from poor Type 1 diabetes control which lead me to become legally blind for almost a year. The doctors didn't give me much hope, predicting an 80% chance that I would never see again. But I refused to give up and changed my lifestyle drastically. Through sheer willpower (and an amazing eye surgeon) I beat the odds and regained my vision. During that difficult time, I couldn't read or write, which was devastating as they had always been a source of comfort for me since childhood. However, my wife took me to the local library where she read out the titles of audiobooks to me. I selected some of my favorite books, such as the Disc World series, Name of the Wind, Harry Potter, and more, and the audiobooks brought these stories to life in a way I had never experienced before. They helped me through the darkest period of my life and I fell in love with audiobooks. Once I regained my vision, I decided to pursue a career as an audiobook narrator instead of a writer. That's why I created Tall Tale TV, to support aspiring authors in the writing communities that I had grown to love before my ordeal. My goal was to help them promote their work by providing a promotional audio short story that showcases their writing skills to readers. They say the strongest form of advertising is word of mouth, so I offer a platform for readers to share these videos and help spread the word about these talented writers. Please consider sharing these stories with your friends and family to support these amazing authors. Thank you!   ---- legal ---- All stories on Tall Tale TV have been submitted in accordance with the terms of service provided on http://www.talltaletv.com or obtained with permission by the author. All images used on Tall Tale TV are either original or Royalty and Attribution free. Most stock images used are provided by http://www.pixabay.com , https://www.canstockphoto.com/ or created using AI. Image attribution will be declared only when required by the copyright owner. Common Affiliates are: Amazon, Smashwords  

Season 6, Episode 758: Video Version. When Technology Meets Intimacy: Tracy Daly of Moanr app on Revolutionizing the Sex & Relationship Connection. The essential humanity piece is so important to sexuality, sensuality, individualism, communication, and connection, while fccusing on a goal of making relationships, sex, kink, and love better! Your specific variables, moods, feelings, and physiology can make a difference in the ability to improve your relationship and enhance intimacy. Listen to find out how! Oh F*ck Yeah with Ruan Willow is a member of PodNation Media and the Full Swap Radio network.  All Ruan's links and books: ⁠https://linktr.ee/RuanWillow⁠ Guest Bio: Tracy Daly is the Co-Founder & CEO of Moanr™, a groundbreaking digital platform designed to revolutionize how we experience modern intimacy and human connection. Powered by the sophisticated, secure engineering of MedEnc Technologies, Tracy leverages cutting-edge sextech to create safe, authentic, and liberating spaces for adult exploration online. Their visionary approach to digital pleasure is deeply informed by their work in the physical lifestyle community, where they also serve as the Socials and Events Manager for Club M4—Ontario's largest premier adult alternative lifestyle venue. They work particularly within the LGBTQIA+ community and those exploring non-traditional relationship dynamics such as CNM and ENM. She helps individuals and partners navigate intimacy with more clarity, confidence, and honesty. By bridging high-tech security with hands-on community curation, Tracy is uniquely pioneering the future of pleasure-positive wellness.  Relationship and sexuality articles: https://moanr.app/blog Website: https://moanr.app/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063915169713 IG: https://www.instagram.com/medenctechnologies/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/medenc-technologies  About Moanr: Moanr is a next-generation intimacy and sexual wellness app that turns private health and relationship data into insights that help people connect better, communicate openly, and navigate modern relationships without stigma Discussion Topics: Revolutionizing Intimacy Through Sex Tech Building Relationships Beyond the First Date Tracking Libido Patterns and Intimacy Tracking Intimacy and Connection in Relationships Breaking Free from Shame and Embracing Authenticity LGBTQ+ Safety Varies Across States Enthusiastic Consent and the Orgasm Gap is really a cultural, knowledge, and attention gap Owning Your Body and Breaking Sexual Shame 500 Years of Hidden Clitoral Anatomy, Very cruel actions taken by those in power to hide this female anatomy from the world Removing Shame From Female Body Language Social Media Censorship of Body Part Language Embracing Pleasure as Our Natural Gift Using Rage Constructively to Empower Change AI in Publishing: Protecting Human Creativity and not using AI in creative endeavors Bridging Health Tech and Human Connection Ruan Willow Podcast host, affiliate links and discounts: Support the show Newsletters https://subscribepage.io/ruanwillow https://linktr.ee/RuanWillow Affiliate link Pearl Toys from Kiiroo: Get 10% OFF ENTIRE ORDER (min. purchase $69, no usage limits) with affiliate code RUANWILLOW10 on pleasure sex toys at https://www.kiiroo.com/ https://offers.feeliate.com/to92wTJh PodNation Podcast Affiliate link, Get 15% OFF with code podna15 on Ryze Coffee at ⁠https://www.ryzesuperfoods.com/ Neighborhood Sex Secrets novel: https://books.ruanwillowauthor.com/neighborhoodsexsecrets Discreet title version: Neighborhood Secrets: https://books.ruanwillowauthor.com/neighborhoodsecretssfwcover Get the first two novellas in my hotwife series on Kobo for only $0.99 https://www.kobo.com/us/en/series/servicing-the-work-men-my-filthy-hotwife-adventures Search on Kobo, Smashwords, and Apple for the other books and get them for only $0.99 now through June 30! Hot Summer Sale $0.99 Decadent Erotica https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/decadent-erotica-an-antholo...  on Smashwords: Decadent Erotica An Anthology Friends with Benefits https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/friends-with-benefits-a-spi...  Never Say Never Swing https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/never-say-never-swing-1  Minnesota Book Fair for Grownups hosted by Inbound Brewing, Minnesota State Fair Grand Stand July 11, 2026. Use discount code RUAN202 for 50% off. Get tickets: buy tickets to the book fair Copyright 2026 Pink Infinity Publishing. All Rights Reserved.

Season 6, Episode 757: Video version.  Age Gap Tea Bagging and Oral, Erotic Spicy Romance Fiction Book Excerpt from Mallory and Derek Attend Secret Parties, written and narrated by podcast host Ruan Willow. Get the full audiobook https://books.ruanwillowauthor.com/malloryandderekattendsecretpartiesaudiobook Book blurb: Mallory and Derek are a young mutually dedicated bisexual couple. They both love adventure and new experiences. It's what drew them to each other in the first place. They desire to explore more together, so they decide to join a swinger's alternative lifestyle club. Once the initial overwhelm wears off, they dive in to the insatiable group fun at the private parties, and don't look back. Their world opens up and they can't get enough. They have so much fun, their minds, and their climaxes, are blown to new heights. Life can't get any better. They make new friendships, and cultivate deeper ones that enrich their lives, while they work hard at being diligently respectful of their mutual boundaries. And all the party games, oh, that's mind-blowing and not stopping in its ever-expanding ecstasy! The couple is hooked! When a photographer is hired for one of the private parties and takes sexy pictures of Mallory with an older man who had become one of her regular play partners, Mallory's life, and career, take a turn for the unexpected. She finds herself lucky to be a huge overnight success as a content creator when she begins to post nude pics and spicy videos online. As she finds herself further entrenched in her life with her devoted partner Derek, her new older millionaire gentleman friend wants to be a permanent person in her life, too. Mallory is lucky, she's got two very supportive partners in her life! Who comes along for the full entrepreneurial ride she's on remains to be seen. However, one thing is for sure, she's taking this pleasure train for life. And whoever is by her side better hold tight because it's promising to be a wild trip! Tropes:  erotic romance, Polyamory love triangle, swinging, BDSM, D/s, multiple partner intimacy and relationships, impact play, intimate scenes, bisexuality, experimentation, and empowerment. Get the ebook and paperback versions (released July 1, 2025): https://books.ruanwillowauthor.com/malloryandderekattendsecretparties Learn more about book 1 and book 2: Mallory and Derek, about books 1 and 2 Support the show Newsletters https://subscribepage.io/ruanwillow https://linktr.ee/RuanWillow Half off a first in series ebook coupon for 50% off the first ebook in the series with code HALFOFF Browse all book at this link: https://buydirect.short.gy/HALFOFF Use code HALFOFF at checkout and start reading today! The best part? This promo is exclusive to authors' direct stores! Bypass the big retailers and SAVE today!

Of Monsters and Mushrooms, Ch. 15 (book 1 NEW) ep. 829 The Last Level of DOOM NOTE: This is a rewrite of book 1. Originally, 'Of Monsters and Mushrooms' was supposed to be a multi-part short story that transformed halfway through into a novel. This left the plot (and the voice acting, to be honest) lacking. We decided to go back and completely rewrite book one to fix any plot holes and bring the quality in line with the rest of the series. Listen to the new book one playlist here https://talltaletv.com/series-of-monsters-and-mushrooms-new/ or Listen to book one (NEW!) https://talltaletv.com/series-of-monsters-and-mushrooms-new/ Listen to book two http://talltaletv.com/series-of-tyrants-and-teakettles/ Listen to book three http://talltaletv.com/series-of-bandits-and-bad-magic/ Listen to book 3.5 https://talltaletv.com/series-an-interlude-of-intrigue/ Listen to book four https://talltaletv.com/series-of-portals-and-portents/ Listen to book five https://talltaletv.com/series-of-risk-and-relativity/   Listen to the original book one http://talltaletv.com/series-monsters-mushrooms/   ---- Listen Elsewhere ---- YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/TallTaleTV Website: http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- Story Submission ---- Got a short story you'd like to submit? Submission guidelines can be found at http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- About Tall Tale TV ---- Hi there! My name is Chris Herron and I'm an audiobook narrator. In 2015, I suffered from poor Type 1 diabetes control which lead me to become legally blind for almost a year. The doctors didn't give me much hope, predicting an 80% chance that I would never see again. But I refused to give up and changed my lifestyle drastically. Through sheer willpower (and an amazing eye surgeon) I beat the odds and regained my vision. During that difficult time, I couldn't read or write, which was devastating as they had always been a source of comfort for me since childhood. However, my wife took me to the local library where she read out the titles of audiobooks to me. I selected some of my favorite books, such as the Disc World series, Name of the Wind, Harry Potter, and more, and the audiobooks brought these stories to life in a way I had never experienced before. They helped me through the darkest period of my life and I fell in love with audiobooks. Once I regained my vision, I decided to pursue a career as an audiobook narrator instead of a writer. That's why I created Tall Tale TV, to support aspiring authors in the writing communities that I had grown to love before my ordeal. My goal was to help them promote their work by providing a promotional audio short story that showcases their writing skills to readers. They say the strongest form of advertising is word of mouth, so I offer a platform for readers to share these videos and help spread the word about these talented writers. Please consider sharing these stories with your friends and family to support these amazing authors. Thank you!   ---- legal ---- All stories on Tall Tale TV have been submitted in accordance with the terms of service provided on http://www.talltaletv.com or obtained with permission by the author. All images used on Tall Tale TV are either original or Royalty and Attribution free. Most stock images used are provided by http://www.pixabay.com , https://www.canstockphoto.com/ or created using AI. Image attribution will be declared only when required by the copyright owner. Common Affiliates are: Amazon, Smashwords

Name's Keeper ep. 828 Melissa R. Mendelson is a horror, science-fiction and dystopian author and poet.  She has two publications with Wild Ink Publishing.  One is a prose poetry collection, This Will Remain With Us, and the other is a short story collection, Stories Written On Covid Walls. Website: https://melissamendelson.com/ Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Melissa-Mendelson/author/B008D6BG56?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1780610073&sr=8-1&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=0e8f43d1-5829-4610-bb60-00116c25aa6d   More TTTV Stories by Melissa R. Mendelson: https://talltaletv.com/tag/melissa-r-mendelson/   ---- Listen Elsewhere ---- YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/TallTaleTV Website: http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- Story Submission ---- Got a short story you'd like to submit? Submission guidelines can be found at http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- About Tall Tale TV ---- Hi there! My name is Chris Herron and I'm an audiobook narrator. In 2015, I suffered from poor Type 1 diabetes control which lead me to become legally blind for almost a year. The doctors didn't give me much hope, predicting an 80% chance that I would never see again. But I refused to give up and changed my lifestyle drastically. Through sheer willpower (and an amazing eye surgeon) I beat the odds and regained my vision. During that difficult time, I couldn't read or write, which was devastating as they had always been a source of comfort for me since childhood. However, my wife took me to the local library where she read out the titles of audiobooks to me. I selected some of my favorite books, such as the Disc World series, Name of the Wind, Harry Potter, and more, and the audiobooks brought these stories to life in a way I had never experienced before. They helped me through the darkest period of my life and I fell in love with audiobooks. Once I regained my vision, I decided to pursue a career as an audiobook narrator instead of a writer. That's why I created Tall Tale TV, to support aspiring authors in the writing communities that I had grown to love before my ordeal. My goal was to help them promote their work by providing a promotional audio short story that showcases their writing skills to readers. They say the strongest form of advertising is word of mouth, so I offer a platform for readers to share these videos and help spread the word about these talented writers. Please consider sharing these stories with your friends and family to support these amazing authors. Thank you!   ---- legal ---- All stories on Tall Tale TV have been submitted in accordance with the terms of service provided on http://www.talltaletv.com or obtained with permission by the author. All images used on Tall Tale TV are either original or Royalty and Attribution free. Most stock images used are provided by http://www.pixabay.com , https://www.canstockphoto.com/ or created using AI. Image attribution will be declared only when required by the copyright owner. Common Affiliates are: Amazon, Smashwords  

Standards of Appearance ep. 827 Steven Mathes lives miles from the nearest pavement with a spouse and a dog. When he isn't writing, he tends a garden. He gardens because he likes to cook. He cooks because he is passionate about eating. He is a full member of SFWA.    ---- Listen Elsewhere ---- YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/TallTaleTV Website: http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- Story Submission ---- Got a short story you'd like to submit? Submission guidelines can be found at http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- About Tall Tale TV ---- Hi there! My name is Chris Herron and I'm an audiobook narrator. In 2015, I suffered from poor Type 1 diabetes control which lead me to become legally blind for almost a year. The doctors didn't give me much hope, predicting an 80% chance that I would never see again. But I refused to give up and changed my lifestyle drastically. Through sheer willpower (and an amazing eye surgeon) I beat the odds and regained my vision. During that difficult time, I couldn't read or write, which was devastating as they had always been a source of comfort for me since childhood. However, my wife took me to the local library where she read out the titles of audiobooks to me. I selected some of my favorite books, such as the Disc World series, Name of the Wind, Harry Potter, and more, and the audiobooks brought these stories to life in a way I had never experienced before. They helped me through the darkest period of my life and I fell in love with audiobooks. Once I regained my vision, I decided to pursue a career as an audiobook narrator instead of a writer. That's why I created Tall Tale TV, to support aspiring authors in the writing communities that I had grown to love before my ordeal. My goal was to help them promote their work by providing a promotional audio short story that showcases their writing skills to readers. They say the strongest form of advertising is word of mouth, so I offer a platform for readers to share these videos and help spread the word about these talented writers. Please consider sharing these stories with your friends and family to support these amazing authors. Thank you!   ---- legal ---- All stories on Tall Tale TV have been submitted in accordance with the terms of service provided on http://www.talltaletv.com or obtained with permission by the author. All images used on Tall Tale TV are either original or Royalty and Attribution free. Most stock images used are provided by http://www.pixabay.com , https://www.canstockphoto.com/ or created using AI. Image attribution will be declared only when required by the copyright owner. Common Affiliates are: Amazon, Smashwords  

Book Synopsis Heather Happenstance Rockaway Pointe's girl about town and roving reporter is at it again as she joins an adventure to find the hairy man beast terrorizing the beings at Whistling Gulch Retreat in the Forest of the Forbidden. She'll encounter multiple paramours, strange creatures, the Forest of the Forbidden Bears, and her own inner secrets and shadows as she works with the newly appointed Ranger Haniford to solve the mystery of the beast and the strangely severed hand that weirdly resembles that of her ex husband and rock star Blaze Mulholland. THANKS FOR Being here

Missionaries ep. 826 Roger Ley has self-published eight novels and one anthology of speculative stories. He was born and educated mainly in London, but spent some of his formative years in Saudi Arabia. Later, he worked as an engineer in the oilfields of North Africa and in the North Sea before starting a career in higher education teaching computer-aided engineering. His early articles appeared in publications including The Guardian, Reader's Digest, The Oldie, and Best of British. His short stories have been published on a multiplicity of websites and broadcast on BBC Radio. He lives in Suffolk (UK). Visit his website at rogerley.co.uk His Amazon author page is at https://www.amazon.com/stores/Roger-Ley/author/B01KOVZFHM More TTV Stories by Roger ley: https://talltaletv.com/tag/roger-ley/   ---- Listen Elsewhere ---- YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/TallTaleTV Website: http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- Story Submission ---- Got a short story you'd like to submit? Submission guidelines can be found at http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- About Tall Tale TV ---- Hi there! My name is Chris Herron and I'm an audiobook narrator. In 2015, I suffered from poor Type 1 diabetes control which lead me to become legally blind for almost a year. The doctors didn't give me much hope, predicting an 80% chance that I would never see again. But I refused to give up and changed my lifestyle drastically. Through sheer willpower (and an amazing eye surgeon) I beat the odds and regained my vision. During that difficult time, I couldn't read or write, which was devastating as they had always been a source of comfort for me since childhood. However, my wife took me to the local library where she read out the titles of audiobooks to me. I selected some of my favorite books, such as the Disc World series, Name of the Wind, Harry Potter, and more, and the audiobooks brought these stories to life in a way I had never experienced before. They helped me through the darkest period of my life and I fell in love with audiobooks. Once I regained my vision, I decided to pursue a career as an audiobook narrator instead of a writer. That's why I created Tall Tale TV, to support aspiring authors in the writing communities that I had grown to love before my ordeal. My goal was to help them promote their work by providing a promotional audio short story that showcases their writing skills to readers. They say the strongest form of advertising is word of mouth, so I offer a platform for readers to share these videos and help spread the word about these talented writers. Please consider sharing these stories with your friends and family to support these amazing authors. Thank you!   ---- legal ---- All stories on Tall Tale TV have been submitted in accordance with the terms of service provided on http://www.talltaletv.com or obtained with permission by the author. All images used on Tall Tale TV are either original or Royalty and Attribution free. Most stock images used are provided by http://www.pixabay.com , https://www.canstockphoto.com/ or created using AI. Image attribution will be declared only when required by the copyright owner. Common Affiliates are: Amazon, Smashwords  

Join me in sisterhood as we part the mists and have a gal hang in Avalon together. This month we're focusing on the apple as creative projects. Tapping into our latent sexual energy to create and disperse stuck sacral chakra vibes.Also this month we're committing to Sisters in Service as we send good energy, uplifting thoughts, and high vibes of support to all of our front line Bringers of the Light in the Inner Worlds. They're the invisible armies that could really use our support right now.And we'll finish with a little time for our Twin Flame Sisters in a show of solidarity and support for the very unique and often confounding thing that is the twin flame journey.THANKS FOR Being here

Golden Ticket ep. 825 Rick Danforth is an author from Yorkshire, England, where he works as a Systems Architect to fund his writing habit. His short fiction can be found in On Spec, Metastellar, and many other places. His story The Personal Touch won the BSFA award for Audio Fiction in 2024. He one day hopes to introduce himself as an author without feeling awkward about it.   More TTV Stories by Rick Danforth: https://talltaletv.com/tag/rick-danforth/   ---- Listen Elsewhere ---- YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/TallTaleTV Website: http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- Story Submission ---- Got a short story you'd like to submit? Submission guidelines can be found at http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- About Tall Tale TV ---- Hi there! My name is Chris Herron and I'm an audiobook narrator. In 2015, I suffered from poor Type 1 diabetes control which lead me to become legally blind for almost a year. The doctors didn't give me much hope, predicting an 80% chance that I would never see again. But I refused to give up and changed my lifestyle drastically. Through sheer willpower (and an amazing eye surgeon) I beat the odds and regained my vision. During that difficult time, I couldn't read or write, which was devastating as they had always been a source of comfort for me since childhood. However, my wife took me to the local library where she read out the titles of audiobooks to me. I selected some of my favorite books, such as the Disc World series, Name of the Wind, Harry Potter, and more, and the audiobooks brought these stories to life in a way I had never experienced before. They helped me through the darkest period of my life and I fell in love with audiobooks. Once I regained my vision, I decided to pursue a career as an audiobook narrator instead of a writer. That's why I created Tall Tale TV, to support aspiring authors in the writing communities that I had grown to love before my ordeal. My goal was to help them promote their work by providing a promotional audio short story that showcases their writing skills to readers. They say the strongest form of advertising is word of mouth, so I offer a platform for readers to share these videos and help spread the word about these talented writers. Please consider sharing these stories with your friends and family to support these amazing authors. Thank you!   ---- legal ---- All stories on Tall Tale TV have been submitted in accordance with the terms of service provided on http://www.talltaletv.com or obtained with permission by the author. All images used on Tall Tale TV are either original or Royalty and Attribution free. Most stock images used are provided by http://www.pixabay.com , https://www.canstockphoto.com/ or created using AI. Image attribution will be declared only when required by the copyright owner. Common Affiliates are: Amazon, Smashwords  

Heather Happenstance Rockaway Pointe's girl about town and roving reporter is at it again as she joins an adventure to find the hairy man beast terrorizing the beings at Whistling Gulch Retreat in the Forest of the Forbidden. She'll encounter multiple paramours, strange creatures, the Forest of the Forbidden Bears, and her own inner secrets and shadows as she works with the newly appointed Ranger Haniford to solve the mystery of the beast and the strangely severed hand that weirdly resembles that of her ex husband and rock star Blaze Mulholland. THANKS FOR Being here

The Lawn Ornament ep. 824 Andrew Hodges was born in Woodbridge, England, but spent the majority of his life growing up in Virginia. He has worked as a paint contractor, a biology teacher, a research assistant, and a hospital orderly, all experiences he draws on for his writing. He has a southern gothic horror novel called The Guardians on Amazon, and several of his stories have been featured on The Night's End podcast. He lives in Appalachia with his wife.   More TTV Stories by Andrew L. Hodges: https://talltaletv.com/tag/andrew-l-hodges/   ---- Listen Elsewhere ---- YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/TallTaleTV Website: http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- Story Submission ---- Got a short story you'd like to submit? Submission guidelines can be found at http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- About Tall Tale TV ---- Hi there! My name is Chris Herron and I'm an audiobook narrator. In 2015, I suffered from poor Type 1 diabetes control which lead me to become legally blind for almost a year. The doctors didn't give me much hope, predicting an 80% chance that I would never see again. But I refused to give up and changed my lifestyle drastically. Through sheer willpower (and an amazing eye surgeon) I beat the odds and regained my vision. During that difficult time, I couldn't read or write, which was devastating as they had always been a source of comfort for me since childhood. However, my wife took me to the local library where she read out the titles of audiobooks to me. I selected some of my favorite books, such as the Disc World series, Name of the Wind, Harry Potter, and more, and the audiobooks brought these stories to life in a way I had never experienced before. They helped me through the darkest period of my life and I fell in love with audiobooks. Once I regained my vision, I decided to pursue a career as an audiobook narrator instead of a writer. That's why I created Tall Tale TV, to support aspiring authors in the writing communities that I had grown to love before my ordeal. My goal was to help them promote their work by providing a promotional audio short story that showcases their writing skills to readers. They say the strongest form of advertising is word of mouth, so I offer a platform for readers to share these videos and help spread the word about these talented writers. Please consider sharing these stories with your friends and family to support these amazing authors. Thank you!   ---- legal ---- All stories on Tall Tale TV have been submitted in accordance with the terms of service provided on http://www.talltaletv.com or obtained with permission by the author. All images used on Tall Tale TV are either original or Royalty and Attribution free. Most stock images used are provided by http://www.pixabay.com , https://www.canstockphoto.com/ or created using AI. Image attribution will be declared only when required by the copyright owner. Common Affiliates are: Amazon, Smashwords  

PNL UPRN Seg#79 Paranormal Apocalypse Guest Maxim Furek CoHosts Rob Shelsky & Dr. Judd Burton Tue May 12th, 2026 5pm EST Guest Bio: PNL (Paranormal NL) Podcast located in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), Canada with Host Jen Noseworthy -S4/E19-UPRN Segment #79. “Paranormal Apocalpse” special Pre-recorded event with a YouTube Live-Chat Watch-Party on UPRN. PNL Host Jen Noseworthy talks with Guest: author Maxim Furek (from Florida, USA). PNL Podcast Alumni Co-Host Guests join the episode: author Rob Shelsky (from North Carolina, USA) and author Dr. Judd Burton (from Texas, USA). Guest: Maxim Furek has a rich background with esoteric & futurist Paranormal authorship, psychology, addiction, and music journalism. He holds a Master of communications from Bloomsburg University, and a Bachelor of psychology from Aquinas College. Maxim has interviewed demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren and white witch Dr. Frederick Lamonte Santee. Maxim was featured on Coast to Coast with George Noory, Exploring the Bizarre with the legendary Timothy Green Beckley and Tim R. Swartz, and Art Bell's Midnight in the Desert with Heather Wade. Maxim is a respected contributor to Fate Magazine, Paranormal Underground, and Strange Knocks, showcasing his expertise and knowledge in the field. Max was guest speaker at the Butler (PA) Paranormal Conference & ECBRO Virginia Bigfoot Expo. Maxim has written numerous books, including: “The Smurl Haunting: When Ed and Lorraine Came to Town” (made into The Conjuring: Last Rites motion picture); “Paranormal Apocalypse: Is This How It Ends?”; “Coal Region Hoodoo: Paranormal Tales from Inside the Pit”;” The Lost Tribes of Bigfoot; Sheppton: The Myth, Miracle, & Music”; and “Flying Saucer Esoteric: The Altered States of Ufology”. Follow author Maxim Furek at www.maximfurek.com Co-Host Guest: Rob Shelsky was previously on PNL Podcast S3/E10 (UPRN Seg#17); andS4/E6 (UPRN Seg#66) with Coley “UFO” Weber from SNX Radio. Selsky is an author & MUFON field investigator. Shelsky's written over 80 books such as science fiction (thrillers), paranormal novels, fantasy, horror, and more. Shelsky was invited to speak at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Rob has a degree in science. Shelsky has also written a large number of articles for magazines such as AlienSkin, Doorways, Midnight Street (U.K.), Internet Review of Science Fiction (IROSF), and many others. Rob has been interviewed on a number of shows, including George Noory's Coast-To-Coast AM Radio show, House of Mystery, The Kevin Cook Show, Art Bell's Midnight In The Desert, The Warren XChange, Mysterious Radio, and many others. Rob has explored the alien & UFO question and has made investigative trips to research UFO hotspots like Pine Bush, New York, Gulf Breeze, Florida, Brown Mountain, North Carolina, known, for their infamous “Brown Mountain Lights”, United Kingdom, Canada, and other countries where UFOs have been reported. Shelsky was the on-camera UFO expert for a Travel Channel TV show. Find his books on Amazon Kindle, Smashwords & more. Follow Rob Shelsky on http://robshelsky.blogspot.com/

Available exclusively on SBL and Paid Substack only. In this episode of Medicine Girl, I sit down with Pete and Peter, co-authors of Water Is Not H₂O, for a wide-ranging, conversation that blurs the line between science, satire, and cultural critique. We riff on unconventional ideas, poke fun at modern health narratives, and explore how language, belief, and provocation shape the way we think about the body, medicine, and reality itself. From thought experiments about oxygen and cigarettes to broader questions about what we accept as "fact," this episode isn't about giving answers—it's about challenging assumptions, blowing up certainty, and opening space for curiosity. Expect humor and philosophical detours, never medical advice. That has to come from the indoctrinated Md's who profit from your perpetual illness. This is the Medicine Girl Podcast doing what it does best: questioning everything, taking nothing too seriously, and letting ideas breathe (pun fully intended). To Find and Share To find Pete and Peter checkout out their youTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@PeterPete For an Ad-free experience you can find Pete and Peter on Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-5731194 You can also support the Channel by checking out the FREE e-book "100 Reasons Water Is Not H2O" on Smashwords by clicking here:- https://www.smashwords.com/books/view... Before You Go I have a sincere favor to ask. This work is increasingly being restricted, removed, or quietly buried across platforms. That includes TikTok, YouTube, and now even here. What is happening globally, including readers being locked out of accounts for refusing biometric verification while still being charged, makes one thing clear: content that exists only on platforms is not safe. Agent131711 and I spend hours every day researching, cross-checking, writing, and preserving this material. No sponsors. No affiliates. No corporate products. Just time, costs, and a commitment to tell the truth plainly. That's why we are building the Shadow Banned Library, a place where this work can be downloaded, stored, printed, and passed on before it disappears. If this article mattered to you, please consider supporting that effort. Subscribing, donating, and sharing all help keep this work alive while we still can. Important note for readers: If you are ever locked out of your account due to platform requirements such as biometric verification, please do not file a chargeback. Chargebacks create significant banking penalties, make refunds harder, not easier, and end up costing me more than I receive. If this happens, email me directly at robin@purifywithin.com, and I will cancel your subscription and issue a refund for any prepaid amount. More detailed guidance will follow in a separate email. You can learn more about the preservation effort at shadowbannedlibrary.com. Thank you for reading, for thinking critically, and for supporting work that refuses to be bought or softened. Disclaimer The views expressed in this article are the author's opinions, based on clinical experience, historical sources, public records, and secondary reporting. Where applicable, references to peer-reviewed and archival material are provided to support discussion of physiology and public health policy. The author is a licensed Registered Nurse (RN) no longer working in the field. This article reflects professional observation and analysis, but it is not intended as individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Readers should consult their own licensed healthcare professionals for personal medical decisions. This piece is written for informational and educational purposes only. It does not allege proven legal wrongdoing by any named company or individual. If you believe this article contains a factual error, or if you represent an entity mentioned and wish to provide source documentation or request a correction, please contact robin@purifywithin.com. Corrections will be made promptly where warranted. Nothing in this article should be construed as legal advice. For legal guidance regarding publishing, liability, or defamation, consult a qualified attorney.

Tara and Ben tend bees. Tara's a mystic and Bens a healer. And the bees…the bees are always talking. Are you listening?THANKS FOR Being here

Intelligent Design ep. 823 Roger Ley has self-published eight novels and one anthology of speculative stories. He was born and educated mainly in London, but spent some of his formative years in Saudi Arabia. Later, he worked as an engineer in the oilfields of North Africa and in the North Sea before starting a career in higher education teaching computer-aided engineering. His early articles appeared in publications including The Guardian, Reader's Digest, The Oldie, and Best of British. His short stories have been published on a multiplicity of websites and broadcast on BBC Radio. He lives in Suffolk (UK). Visit his website at rogerley.co.uk His Amazon author page is at https://www.amazon.com/stores/Roger-Ley/author/B01KOVZFHM More TTV Stories by Roger ley: https://talltaletv.com/tag/roger-ley/   ---- Listen Elsewhere ---- YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/TallTaleTV Website: http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- Story Submission ---- Got a short story you'd like to submit? Submission guidelines can be found at http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- About Tall Tale TV ---- Hi there! My name is Chris Herron and I'm an audiobook narrator. In 2015, I suffered from poor Type 1 diabetes control which lead me to become legally blind for almost a year. The doctors didn't give me much hope, predicting an 80% chance that I would never see again. But I refused to give up and changed my lifestyle drastically. Through sheer willpower (and an amazing eye surgeon) I beat the odds and regained my vision. During that difficult time, I couldn't read or write, which was devastating as they had always been a source of comfort for me since childhood. However, my wife took me to the local library where she read out the titles of audiobooks to me. I selected some of my favorite books, such as the Disc World series, Name of the Wind, Harry Potter, and more, and the audiobooks brought these stories to life in a way I had never experienced before. They helped me through the darkest period of my life and I fell in love with audiobooks. Once I regained my vision, I decided to pursue a career as an audiobook narrator instead of a writer. That's why I created Tall Tale TV, to support aspiring authors in the writing communities that I had grown to love before my ordeal. My goal was to help them promote their work by providing a promotional audio short story that showcases their writing skills to readers. They say the strongest form of advertising is word of mouth, so I offer a platform for readers to share these videos and help spread the word about these talented writers. Please consider sharing these stories with your friends and family to support these amazing authors. Thank you!   ---- legal ---- All stories on Tall Tale TV have been submitted in accordance with the terms of service provided on http://www.talltaletv.com or obtained with permission by the author. All images used on Tall Tale TV are either original or Royalty and Attribution free. Most stock images used are provided by http://www.pixabay.com , https://www.canstockphoto.com/ or created using AI. Image attribution will be declared only when required by the copyright owner. Common Affiliates are: Amazon, Smashwords  

In this week's episode, we discuss the recent changes for new accounts at Draft2Digital, and talk about how there is no magic pill for success for writers. This coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in the Malison series at my Payhip store: MALISON2026 The coupon code is valid through April 27th, 2026. So if you need a new ebook this spring, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 299 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is April the 17th, 2026 and today we are discussing Draft2Digital account changes and how writers need to embrace the writing grind. Before we start on that, we will have Coupon of the Week and an update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. First up is Coupon of the Week, and this week's coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in the Malison series at my Payhip store. That code is MALISON2026. This coupon code is valid through April the 27th, 2026. So if you need a new ebook for this spring, we have got you covered. And now an update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. I'm pleased to report that Blade of Wraiths, the fourth book in the Blades of Ruin epic fantasy series, is finally done. You can get Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Apple Books, bookshop.org, Smashwords, and my own Payhip store. It has been selling strongly, so thank you all for that and I'm glad I was finally able to get it out into the world despite delays. Now that Blade of Wraiths is done, my next main project will be Dragon-Mage, which is the sixth book in the Rivah Half-Elven Thief series, and I'm about 29,000 words into it. I think it will be about 80,000 words, give or take. So I'm hoping to have that out in May, if all goes well. In audiobook news, the fifth book in the Rivah series, Wizard-Assassin, is now out in audiobook. You get it at Audible, Apple, Amazon, Chirp, Google Play, Kobo, and all the other usual audiobook stores. In other audiobook news, Cloak of Illusion is being recorded by Hollis McCarthy right now and Brad Wills will start recording Blade of Wraiths on Monday, if all goes well. So that is where I'm at with my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. Good progress all around. So it's nice to have a good progress update there. 00:02:00 Barnes & Noble/ Draft2Digital Changes Now, before we get to our originally planned main topic, we will pause to address a news item. A few people ask what I thought about recent changes that Barnes & Noble and Draft2Digital made for self-publishers. If you're outside of Indie Author World and haven't heard of any of this, the gist is that Barnes & Noble is putting new restrictions on indie author accounts and Draft2Digital is now charging a one-time $20 fee for anyone opening account and an annual $12 fee on any accounts that make less than $100 a year on the platform and if you make more than $100 a year on the platform, the yearly fee is waived. Now, as you can expect, there was a good deal of consternation about this online, especially among indies with only one or two books who might not make $100 a year from their books. So what is my opinion on this? My opinion is threefold. First, it's unfortunate they had to do this. In a more optimum world, they would not have had to do this, but I suspect they were forced into it due to circumstances. And because of that, number two, it is inevitable that something like this was coming along because number three, the reason this happened was the overwhelming flood of AI generated slop from scammers. The ultimate source of the problem, as is the ultimate source of many recent problems in the world, is generative AI. A small number of scammers are generating enormous quantities of AI generated slop books and uploading them to the publishing platforms. We're talking like tens of thousands of books a month or even a week, and the books are absolutely low effort as well: AI generated gibberish text, AI generated cover, and then thrown on the store. Since I wrote this podcast script, James Blatch of Self Publishing Formula put out a Substack stack article on it, and he mentioned that he was talking to someone from Draft2Digital. He mentioned an example of the kind of low quality slop books they're dealing with. Last year when US political activist Charlie Kirk was murdered, within hours, several nonfiction books on the murder appeared on the stores, and these books were essentially either copy and pasted Wikipedia summaries or AI generated books on the topic that, as you might expect since it was a very recent event, contained no useful information whatsoever. The scammers were just hoping that to take advantage of a contentious current event and make a few bucks along the way. Now imagine this multiplying tens of thousands of times over every single day, and that is the scale of the problem. Now, this has always been a problem with self-publishing, especially with Kindle Unlimited, but AI takes it to an industrial scale. With some basic LLM knowledge, you can automate the entire thing. The figures I've heard are that something like 70 to 75% of new submissions to Draft2Digital in the last year have been AI generated scam books of that nature. Now, obviously this is not viable in the long term and is an existential threat to the platform, so something had to be done. Amazon already took some steps in that direction by limiting accounts to only three uploads a day, so it was inevitable that the other platforms would have to follow suit. Now, the best way to reduce scams is to increase friction. That's why it's sensible to lock your front door and your car. If someone really, really wants to break into your house or car, that's not going to stop them, but a locked door will deter lots of casual thieves or junkies who are strolling around looking for low risk things to steal. In the same way, these changes won't stop the problem of AI generated slop books, but it will help [make] the problem more manageable by increasing friction. So it's unfortunate that these changes have to happen, but I suspect something like this was inevitable, and I also strongly suspect that more of this will be coming. I think eventually we're going to end up with a per book publishing fee, like $10 per title, [which] while unfortunate, would severely reduce the financial viability of these scams, but perhaps we'll be fortunate enough that the era of free and low cost generative AI is going to collapse before that happens. The economic signs are increasingly pointing in that direction with the various AI providers hiking prices in the last few months, and scamming with AI becomes a lot less attractive when you're spending thousands of dollars a week on tokens. Ultimately, in my opinion, the villain here is not Draft2Digital and it's not Barnes & Noble, but the villain is the AI companies who have very recklessly and irresponsibly pushed this highly destructive and often useless technology out of a combination of messianic hubris and old-fashioned greed disguised as self-righteous altruism, much like the crypto and NFT advocates before them. I've said before that I think the primary problem with LLM based AI is that it comes with a whole lot of negative results and virtually no positive ones. The changes of Draft2Digital and Barnes & Noble are yet another example of AI creating negative outcomes and no corresponding benefits. But thankfully, it is not all gloom and doom. It's heartening to see how increasingly unpopular AI is becoming with the general public, with shutting down data center construction projects becoming a hot issue in local US politics. I think the best outcome for the entire mess created by AI technology would be for using it to become as socially unacceptable as, for example, smoking in front of small children or placing bets on a dog fighting ring. 00:07:15 Main Topic of the Week: There is No Magic Pill For Writers Now our other main topic of this week, how there is no magic pill for writers and writers should embrace the writing grind. A while back, I was watching a sports documentary and one of the athletes said that when she was asked for advice from those just starting the sport, she would happily share her routines with these competitors because she knew that most people lacked the work ethic necessary to complete them for any length of time. She lamented that all people wanted was a magic pill and that there was no magic pill for success in her sport. And I think the same thing is true of writing and publishing. People want a magic pill to land on top of the bestseller list right away and make lots of money instantly. The truth is for any kind of lasting success, there isn't that magic pill. Most writers make money by persistence instead of trickery. In this episode, I will give you five of the most important things you need as a writer in order to succeed in publishing your work. I can't give you a magic pill, but like that athlete, I can give you my routine. I've mentioned these tactics before in this podcast, but I wanted to collect them all in one place as a starting point of advice for working hard for that magic secret to success. #1: Work hard. You might hear stories of writers only working an hour or two a day, but the reality is that prolific authors are working far more than that. Only a handful of writers can make a full-time living publishing one book every few years. The rest of us are writing as much as possible and getting out books at least a couple of times a year, if not more. Times have changed. In a saturated entertainment industry, people are quick to forget and move on to the next thing. Website algorithms reward authors who put out new content frequently. So to be able to be a full-time writer, I do work typical workday hours, but I also do some work in the morning before I actually start, and then some in the evening as well, though of course that can be modified based on the needs of the day. I also do some work on weekends. I don't work all day on the weekend, but I do try to get at least a thousand words in and any administrative stuff wrapped up on the weekends. And I try to avoid long vacations, partly because I don't want to miss that much work and partly because I don't really enjoy long vacations. I'm not much of a traveler, I have to admit. This is generally more work than in a typical office setting. Especially around tax time, there's also its own share of a boring administrative paperwork that needs to be done. #2: Don't mistake what working hard is or where you should focus your effort. I've talked a lot about the perils of writing adjacent activities on this podcast, meaning things that feel like productive work but aren't. For example, some authors spend hours a day on social media and feel like they're marketing, but really they're just posting an echo chamber of other authors or getting themselves upset by doom scrolling and calling it keeping up with the news or research. They are as mentally drained as if they did hours of productive work, but unlike productive work, they have nothing to show for it. Writing adjacent activities have to be tightly controlled and managed because the majority of your work time should be spent writing and/or editing. Distractions like these writing adjacent activities can take up an entire day if you let them. I keep to a pretty rigid schedule, planning my breaks throughout the day. #3: When possible, do the publishing yourself. Don't rely on sketchy publishing services or vanity presses asking for thousands of dollars to help publish your book. Despite all the outrage over the Draft2Digital's change, $12 a year is still pretty reasonable compared to some of the outrageous fees that these vanity publishers charge. It's worth taking the time to learn how to format and publish books yourself. There's an abundance of free tutorials or low cost ones from reputable sources that can teach you how. It's better to spend time than money and then you have the skill forever. That is one writing adjacent activity that is absolutely worthwhile. Don't wait for the approval of an agent or spend years chasing one down. You can put your book out yourself. By doing it yourself, you have complete creative control, keep all the profits, and get to decide what you publish next. There's a reason that many authors return to self-publishing after accepting a contract with the Big Five publishers in the US. #4: Manage your expectations. The fact is that some genres sell more than others, especially in ebook form. For example, children's picture books are one of the toughest categories for indie publishers, especially as it fills with AI generated slop replacing illustrators. Children's books, technical books, and very specific nonfiction is simply harder to sell than romance, fantasy, or other kinds of fiction. Most authors don't have a massive success with their first book and find that their sales increase gradually over time. Don't expect to become the next indie success mega success story on your first time out. #5: Be willing to change. The beauty of being an indie author is that you have access to a lot of real time data about your books. If you are seeing a lot of clicks on your ads but few purchases, it's best to try changing your book's cover or blurb before giving up on it entirely. If the search results for your book on Amazon don't match your book at all, it's best to tweak the categories and add in some negative targeting to your ads. There's a saying that the best thing you can do to sell your book is to write the next one in the series, and I have found that to be very true myself. If the book isn't an instant success, it might be better to put out the next one instead of endlessly tweaking the first one. #6: Keep going. Most people can work hard for short bursts of time. The real challenge is to work hard over a sustained period of time, especially if there isn't an immediate reward for it. There is something of the same challenge in exercise and eating healthy too in that you don't usually see immediate results. You have to do it consistently for several weeks or months before you start seeing results. The truth is, most writers are not an overnight success or even a success after a year or two of writing. I wrote for years before my first book got published in 2005. Even after my first book was published and didn't sell well (I think my royalties could have bought me a combo from Burger King). It took years of writing and rejection from publishers before indie publishing became viable, and I was finally able to make money from my unsold novels. If I hadn't kept going, I wouldn't have been able to have those books ready when the opportunity of self-publishing began to lead to actual money. So keep going. Even if your first draft is not your liking, even if your first book you put out doesn't sell, even if you feel frustrated, the best thing you can do is just keep going. In short, ignore the influencers who have advice for becoming an instant bestseller, usually by throwing lots of AI produced slop onto bookselling sites. Taking the easy way out is not a long-term strategy. There is no magic pill that leads to selling over two million books over 15 years like I have done (not to toot my own horn about that, so to speak), but I think that shows the results of effort applied consistently over time for a long period of time. So if you want to be a writer, get to work. So that is it for this week. Thanks for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. Next week will be our 300th episode. Talk about effort applied over time, right? So be sure to tune in next week for the 300th episode because we're going to have a special giveaway for that. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes of this podcast on https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave your review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and see you all next week.  

Hindsight ep. 822 E.B. Sommer's work has appeared in The Daily Tomorrow, Moonday Mag, and The Stygian Zine.  On April 17th, 2026 one of her stories will appear in the latest Harvey Duckman anthology, the Soup of Causality, available on Amazon. She is an Associate Member of SFWA and a full list of her published stories can be found on her website, at www.ebsommer.com. She lives in Minnesota with her family and their dogs, Sam and Sally.    ---- Listen Elsewhere ---- YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/TallTaleTV Website: http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- Story Submission ---- Got a short story you'd like to submit? Submission guidelines can be found at http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- About Tall Tale TV ---- Hi there! My name is Chris Herron and I'm an audiobook narrator. In 2015, I suffered from poor Type 1 diabetes control which lead me to become legally blind for almost a year. The doctors didn't give me much hope, predicting an 80% chance that I would never see again. But I refused to give up and changed my lifestyle drastically. Through sheer willpower (and an amazing eye surgeon) I beat the odds and regained my vision. During that difficult time, I couldn't read or write, which was devastating as they had always been a source of comfort for me since childhood. However, my wife took me to the local library where she read out the titles of audiobooks to me. I selected some of my favorite books, such as the Disc World series, Name of the Wind, Harry Potter, and more, and the audiobooks brought these stories to life in a way I had never experienced before. They helped me through the darkest period of my life and I fell in love with audiobooks. Once I regained my vision, I decided to pursue a career as an audiobook narrator instead of a writer. That's why I created Tall Tale TV, to support aspiring authors in the writing communities that I had grown to love before my ordeal. My goal was to help them promote their work by providing a promotional audio short story that showcases their writing skills to readers. They say the strongest form of advertising is word of mouth, so I offer a platform for readers to share these videos and help spread the word about these talented writers. Please consider sharing these stories with your friends and family to support these amazing authors. Thank you!   ---- legal ---- All stories on Tall Tale TV have been submitted in accordance with the terms of service provided on http://www.talltaletv.com or obtained with permission by the author. All images used on Tall Tale TV are either original or Royalty and Attribution free. Most stock images used are provided by http://www.pixabay.com , https://www.canstockphoto.com/ or created using AI. Image attribution will be declared only when required by the copyright owner. Common Affiliates are: Amazon, Smashwords  

Of Monsters and Mushrooms, Ch. 14 (book 1 NEW) ep. 813 A Dash of Ninja-nuity NOTE: This is a rewrite of book 1. Originally, 'Of Monsters and Mushrooms' was supposed to be a multi-part short story that transformed halfway through into a novel. This left the plot (and the voice acting, to be honest) lacking. We decided to go back and completely rewrite book one to fix any plot holes and bring the quality in line with the rest of the series. Listen to the new book one playlist here https://talltaletv.com/series-of-monsters-and-mushrooms-new/ or Listen to book one (NEW!) https://talltaletv.com/series-of-monsters-and-mushrooms-new/ Listen to book two http://talltaletv.com/series-of-tyrants-and-teakettles/ Listen to book three http://talltaletv.com/series-of-bandits-and-bad-magic/ Listen to book 3.5 https://talltaletv.com/series-an-interlude-of-intrigue/ Listen to book four https://talltaletv.com/series-of-portals-and-portents/ Listen to book five https://talltaletv.com/series-of-risk-and-relativity/   Listen to the original book one http://talltaletv.com/series-monsters-mushrooms/   ---- Listen Elsewhere ---- YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/TallTaleTV Website: http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- Story Submission ---- Got a short story you'd like to submit? Submission guidelines can be found at http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- About Tall Tale TV ---- Hi there! My name is Chris Herron and I'm an audiobook narrator. In 2015, I suffered from poor Type 1 diabetes control which lead me to become legally blind for almost a year. The doctors didn't give me much hope, predicting an 80% chance that I would never see again. But I refused to give up and changed my lifestyle drastically. Through sheer willpower (and an amazing eye surgeon) I beat the odds and regained my vision. During that difficult time, I couldn't read or write, which was devastating as they had always been a source of comfort for me since childhood. However, my wife took me to the local library where she read out the titles of audiobooks to me. I selected some of my favorite books, such as the Disc World series, Name of the Wind, Harry Potter, and more, and the audiobooks brought these stories to life in a way I had never experienced before. They helped me through the darkest period of my life and I fell in love with audiobooks. Once I regained my vision, I decided to pursue a career as an audiobook narrator instead of a writer. That's why I created Tall Tale TV, to support aspiring authors in the writing communities that I had grown to love before my ordeal. My goal was to help them promote their work by providing a promotional audio short story that showcases their writing skills to readers. They say the strongest form of advertising is word of mouth, so I offer a platform for readers to share these videos and help spread the word about these talented writers. Please consider sharing these stories with your friends and family to support these amazing authors. Thank you!   ---- legal ---- All stories on Tall Tale TV have been submitted in accordance with the terms of service provided on http://www.talltaletv.com or obtained with permission by the author. All images used on Tall Tale TV are either original or Royalty and Attribution free. Most stock images used are provided by http://www.pixabay.com , https://www.canstockphoto.com/ or created using AI. Image attribution will be declared only when required by the copyright owner. Common Affiliates are: Amazon, Smashwords

Dead Skin of the Basilisk ep. 820 Calle Sundbom is a Psychology student from Sweden. They like to experiment with literary form. What they read is mostly pulp stuff. Things that challenge how we can tell stories. Those stories always inspire them.     ---- Listen Elsewhere ---- YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/TallTaleTV Website: http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- Story Submission ---- Got a short story you'd like to submit? Submission guidelines can be found at http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- About Tall Tale TV ---- Hi there! My name is Chris Herron and I'm an audiobook narrator. In 2015, I suffered from poor Type 1 diabetes control which lead me to become legally blind for almost a year. The doctors didn't give me much hope, predicting an 80% chance that I would never see again. But I refused to give up and changed my lifestyle drastically. Through sheer willpower (and an amazing eye surgeon) I beat the odds and regained my vision. During that difficult time, I couldn't read or write, which was devastating as they had always been a source of comfort for me since childhood. However, my wife took me to the local library where she read out the titles of audiobooks to me. I selected some of my favorite books, such as the Disc World series, Name of the Wind, Harry Potter, and more, and the audiobooks brought these stories to life in a way I had never experienced before. They helped me through the darkest period of my life and I fell in love with audiobooks. Once I regained my vision, I decided to pursue a career as an audiobook narrator instead of a writer. That's why I created Tall Tale TV, to support aspiring authors in the writing communities that I had grown to love before my ordeal. My goal was to help them promote their work by providing a promotional audio short story that showcases their writing skills to readers. They say the strongest form of advertising is word of mouth, so I offer a platform for readers to share these videos and help spread the word about these talented writers. Please consider sharing these stories with your friends and family to support these amazing authors. Thank you!   ---- legal ---- All stories on Tall Tale TV have been submitted in accordance with the terms of service provided on http://www.talltaletv.com or obtained with permission by the author. All images used on Tall Tale TV are either original or Royalty and Attribution free. Most stock images used are provided by http://www.pixabay.com , https://www.canstockphoto.com/ or created using AI. Image attribution will be declared only when required by the copyright owner. Common Affiliates are: Amazon, Smashwords  

Voyeurs ep. 819 Roger Ley has self-published eight novels and one anthology of speculative stories. He was born and educated mainly in London, but spent some of his formative years in Saudi Arabia. Later, he worked as an engineer in the oilfields of North Africa and in the North Sea before starting a career in higher education teaching computer-aided engineering. His early articles appeared in publications including The Guardian, Reader's Digest, The Oldie, and Best of British. His short stories have been published on a multiplicity of websites and broadcast on BBC Radio. He lives in Suffolk (UK). Visit his website at rogerley.co.uk His Amazon author page is at https://www.amazon.com/stores/Roger-Ley/author/B01KOVZFHM More TTV Stories by Roger ley: https://talltaletv.com/tag/roger-ley/   ---- Listen Elsewhere ---- YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/TallTaleTV Website: http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- Story Submission ---- Got a short story you'd like to submit? Submission guidelines can be found at http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- About Tall Tale TV ---- Hi there! My name is Chris Herron and I'm an audiobook narrator. In 2015, I suffered from poor Type 1 diabetes control which lead me to become legally blind for almost a year. The doctors didn't give me much hope, predicting an 80% chance that I would never see again. But I refused to give up and changed my lifestyle drastically. Through sheer willpower (and an amazing eye surgeon) I beat the odds and regained my vision. During that difficult time, I couldn't read or write, which was devastating as they had always been a source of comfort for me since childhood. However, my wife took me to the local library where she read out the titles of audiobooks to me. I selected some of my favorite books, such as the Disc World series, Name of the Wind, Harry Potter, and more, and the audiobooks brought these stories to life in a way I had never experienced before. They helped me through the darkest period of my life and I fell in love with audiobooks. Once I regained my vision, I decided to pursue a career as an audiobook narrator instead of a writer. That's why I created Tall Tale TV, to support aspiring authors in the writing communities that I had grown to love before my ordeal. My goal was to help them promote their work by providing a promotional audio short story that showcases their writing skills to readers. They say the strongest form of advertising is word of mouth, so I offer a platform for readers to share these videos and help spread the word about these talented writers. Please consider sharing these stories with your friends and family to support these amazing authors. Thank you!   ---- legal ---- All stories on Tall Tale TV have been submitted in accordance with the terms of service provided on http://www.talltaletv.com or obtained with permission by the author. All images used on Tall Tale TV are either original or Royalty and Attribution free. Most stock images used are provided by http://www.pixabay.com , https://www.canstockphoto.com/ or created using AI. Image attribution will be declared only when required by the copyright owner. Common Affiliates are: Amazon, Smashwords  

The Harbinger ep. 818 Quinn J. Graham is a nerd's nerd from Ontario, Canada. An avid reader, writer, video game enthusiast, and hobbyist game dev, a significant portion of their day involves bouncing between  the words on a screen and those on a page, and trying to sort out which is which. Their fiction has previously appeared in Wyldblood Press, Factor Four Magazine, and On Spec Magazine; with their story "The Necessity of a Shepherd" being a finalist in the 2023 Alberta Magazine Awards. You can check them out at @officialqjg.bsky.social   ---- Listen Elsewhere ---- YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/TallTaleTV Website: http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- Story Submission ---- Got a short story you'd like to submit? Submission guidelines can be found at http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- About Tall Tale TV ---- Hi there! My name is Chris Herron and I'm an audiobook narrator. In 2015, I suffered from poor Type 1 diabetes control which lead me to become legally blind for almost a year. The doctors didn't give me much hope, predicting an 80% chance that I would never see again. But I refused to give up and changed my lifestyle drastically. Through sheer willpower (and an amazing eye surgeon) I beat the odds and regained my vision. During that difficult time, I couldn't read or write, which was devastating as they had always been a source of comfort for me since childhood. However, my wife took me to the local library where she read out the titles of audiobooks to me. I selected some of my favorite books, such as the Disc World series, Name of the Wind, Harry Potter, and more, and the audiobooks brought these stories to life in a way I had never experienced before. They helped me through the darkest period of my life and I fell in love with audiobooks. Once I regained my vision, I decided to pursue a career as an audiobook narrator instead of a writer. That's why I created Tall Tale TV, to support aspiring authors in the writing communities that I had grown to love before my ordeal. My goal was to help them promote their work by providing a promotional audio short story that showcases their writing skills to readers. They say the strongest form of advertising is word of mouth, so I offer a platform for readers to share these videos and help spread the word about these talented writers. Please consider sharing these stories with your friends and family to support these amazing authors. Thank you!   ---- legal ---- All stories on Tall Tale TV have been submitted in accordance with the terms of service provided on http://www.talltaletv.com or obtained with permission by the author. All images used on Tall Tale TV are either original or Royalty and Attribution free. Most stock images used are provided by http://www.pixabay.com , https://www.canstockphoto.com/ or created using AI. Image attribution will be declared only when required by the copyright owner. Common Affiliates are: Amazon, Smashwords  

Derelict ep. 817 Roger Ley has self-published eight novels and one anthology of speculative stories. He was born and educated mainly in London, but spent some of his formative years in Saudi Arabia. Later, he worked as an engineer in the oilfields of North Africa and in the North Sea before starting a career in higher education teaching computer-aided engineering. His early articles appeared in publications including The Guardian, Reader's Digest, The Oldie, and Best of British. His short stories have been published on a multiplicity of websites and broadcast on BBC Radio. He lives in Suffolk (UK). Visit his website at rogerley.co.uk His Amazon author page is at https://www.amazon.com/stores/Roger-Ley/author/B01KOVZFHM More TTV Stories by Roger ley: https://talltaletv.com/tag/roger-ley/   ---- Listen Elsewhere ---- YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/TallTaleTV Website: http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- Story Submission ---- Got a short story you'd like to submit? Submission guidelines can be found at http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- About Tall Tale TV ---- Hi there! My name is Chris Herron and I'm an audiobook narrator. In 2015, I suffered from poor Type 1 diabetes control which lead me to become legally blind for almost a year. The doctors didn't give me much hope, predicting an 80% chance that I would never see again. But I refused to give up and changed my lifestyle drastically. Through sheer willpower (and an amazing eye surgeon) I beat the odds and regained my vision. During that difficult time, I couldn't read or write, which was devastating as they had always been a source of comfort for me since childhood. However, my wife took me to the local library where she read out the titles of audiobooks to me. I selected some of my favorite books, such as the Disc World series, Name of the Wind, Harry Potter, and more, and the audiobooks brought these stories to life in a way I had never experienced before. They helped me through the darkest period of my life and I fell in love with audiobooks. Once I regained my vision, I decided to pursue a career as an audiobook narrator instead of a writer. That's why I created Tall Tale TV, to support aspiring authors in the writing communities that I had grown to love before my ordeal. My goal was to help them promote their work by providing a promotional audio short story that showcases their writing skills to readers. They say the strongest form of advertising is word of mouth, so I offer a platform for readers to share these videos and help spread the word about these talented writers. Please consider sharing these stories with your friends and family to support these amazing authors. Thank you!   ---- legal ---- All stories on Tall Tale TV have been submitted in accordance with the terms of service provided on http://www.talltaletv.com or obtained with permission by the author. All images used on Tall Tale TV are either original or Royalty and Attribution free. Most stock images used are provided by http://www.pixabay.com , https://www.canstockphoto.com/ or created using AI. Image attribution will be declared only when required by the copyright owner. Common Affiliates are: Amazon, Smashwords