The Historical Action and Adventure Podcast - making history come alive! Bestselling authors Matthew Harffy and Steven A. McKay chat about writing action and adventure stories, diving into some of the more quirky and unusual aspects of history, with a detour through music and its role in their process. Each episode covers different exciting themes, often with brilliant guests who help shed light on what Matthew and Steven have decided to talk about that week. Get bonus episodes and more by s ...
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A missing tourist, a US-wide manhunt and the story of how a local celebrity became a fugitive after his dark past begins to catch up with him. Dead Man Running is produced by Myles Bonnar and Calum McKay. Audio Editing, Sound Design, and Mixing by Gav Murchie. The series’ producers are Mark Daly and Jack Kibble-White. Original score composed by Callan Marchetti. Research by Ricki Cooper, Katie McEvinney and Marisha Currie. Location recording by Myles Bonnar, Calum McKay and Steven Donnelly. ...
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Myths | Legends | History | Cryptozoology A podcast dedicated to all things Lost, Unexplained and Straight Up Strange. From ancient lost cities to paranormal phenomena and legendary creatures, Into the Portal is your gateway to the bizarre. Join Hosts Amber Rae and Andrew McKay as they approach topics you have never heard before, taking an in-depth look through an alternate lens… To the other side of the portal.
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In the Research Matters Podcast, I interview leading scientific researchers in psychology and other social sciences in an effort to understand what they do that makes them productive. This podcast is intended to help graduate students, professors, and scientists learn actionable strategies that can help them in their own research endeavors. I strive to help draw out the tips, tricks, habits, and routines of extraordinarily productive researchers. In these interviews, we cover topics like: Ho ...
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DV Bishop, author of the Cesare Aldo novels & also THARG from 2000AD!
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If you would like to help us with our running costs, and get exclusive bonus episodes every month, a FREE copy of our book, Tips on Writing, Publishing and Marketing your Book, and other cool perks, check out our Patreon page here - https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast D. V. Bishop is the author of the award-winning Cesare Aldo historical…
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Sword of the Saxons! Steven's new book is out NOW.
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If you would like to help us with our running costs, and get exclusive bonus episodes every month, a free copy of our book, Tips on Writing, Publishing and Marketing your Book, and other cool perks, check out our Patreon page. https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast Today Matthew interviews Steven and they discuss Sword of the Saxons, bo…
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RPS to attend the Historical Novel Society Conference 2024!
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If you would like to help us with our running costs, and get exclusive BONUS EPISODES every month, a FREE copy of our book, Tips on Writing, Publishing and Marketing your Book, and other cool perks, check out our Patreon page. https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast We've been invited to cover the 2024 Historical Novel Society conferen…
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Westerns & Cowboys - Dark Frontier with Matthew Harffy!
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If you would like to help us with our running costs, and get exclusive bonus episodes every month, a free copy of our book, Tips on Writing, Publishing and Marketing your Book, and other cool perks, check out our Patreon page. https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast Today Steven interviews Matthew Harffy about his brand new book - Dark F…
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Dr Mark Deeks of metal bands Winterfylleth and Ard!
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If you would like to help us with our running costs, and get exclusive bonus episodes every month, a free copy of our book, Tips on Writing, Publishing and Marketing your Book, and other cool perks, check out our Patreon page.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcastMatthew and Steven chat this week with a musician for a change! Dr Mark Deeks is a choirma…
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S2 Ep36: Mystery of the Phantom Airship Part II
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In the late 1890’s Across the United States, massive mystery airships began emerging from the clouds at great speeds and projecting powerful beams of light… Witnesses of these strange happenings experienced bewilderment, excitement and ever fear over who or possibly what was piloting ships in the sky which would appear and disappear like phantoms i…
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Age of Sail author Katie Daysh joins us to talk about LEEWARD!!
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If you would like to help us with our running costs, and get exclusive bonus episodes every month, a free copy of our book, Tips on Writing, Publishing and Marketing your Book, and other cool perks, check out our Patreon page. https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast Katie Daysh is an author from the Isle of Wight who loves to explore unhea…
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In this final episode, Kim writes from prison. And back in the place where this all started, could a tragic story about a young woman's death in Inverness hold more answers about him?By BBC Radio Scotland
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Todd Kerns of SLASH & the Conspirators puts the ROCK in RPS!
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If you would like to help us with our running costs, and get exclusive bonus episodes every month, and other cool perks including a FREE copy of the book we wrote together, check out our patreon page: / rockpaperswordspodcast Another episode and another musician who truly puts the ROCK in Rock, Paper, Swords! Todd "Dammit" Kerns is a multi-instru…
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It's been two years since Kim Avis faked his death at "Mortuary Beach", California. Now, four women take the stand in the trial against him at the High Court in Glasgow, Scotland.By BBC Radio Scotland
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S2 Ep35: Mystery of the Phantom Airship
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It is 1890s California. Imagine living in an era before the first zeppelins hit the skies, before the first test flight of the Wright brothers, and witnessing a massive cigar-shaped craft emerging from the clouds. Long before the 1947 UFO sightings of Kenneth Arnold, or the discovery at Roswell, there were reports of strange craft which seemed to d…
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American Civil War author Cody C. Engdahl joins us for an entertaining chat today!
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If you would like to help us with our running costs, and get exclusive bonus episodes every month, and other cool perks, check out our patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast Born and raised in Detroit, now living in Nashville, Tennessee, Cody C. Engdahl describes himself as a practitioner of the Southern Gentlemanly Arts, an a…
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As the net closes in on Kim, the programme team receives an intriguing tip-off and the promise of learning who the fugitive really is.By BBC Radio Scotland
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Historical research! What resources do we use for our own novels?
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Researching is a huge part of a historical fiction author's life. In this episode we discuss what we use to embed ourselves in our chosen time periods. Support us on one of our 3 tiers on Patreon - patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcastIf you're an author or publisher and would like to sponsor one of our episodes, please get in touch. You can find us o…
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Kim has yet again switched identities and is beginning to settle down in Colorado Springs. But is the fugitive’s new friend Angie all that she seems?By BBC Radio Scotland
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Commissioning Editor Kit Nevile joins us today!
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Today we have a special guest who we think will be of particular interest, especially to aspiring writers. Kit Nevile is a Commissioning Editor at publishers Canelo. He is particularly interested in thrillers, horror, and action/adventure books, and just so happens to be Steven’s editor! Before working at Canelo he was at Persephone Books and White…
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While American police launch a manhunt, a woman who knows all about Kim Avis's darkest crimes shares her story.By BBC Radio Scotland
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Giles Kristian, author of Arthurian, Viking and award winning thriller novels joins us today!
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During the 90s Giles Kristian was lead singer of pop group Upside Down, achieving four top twenty hit records! As a singer-songwriter he lived and toured for two years in Europe and has made music videos all over the world. Giles is half-Norwegian and his family history inspired him to write his first historical novels: the acclaimed and bestsellin…
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After a mysterious drowning off ‘Mortuary Beach’, police start to question what’s really happened to the missing man.By BBC Radio Scotland
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What IS historical fiction? How do YOU define it?
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This episode is sponsored by Paul Bernardi's brand new historical thriller Blood Feud. Please check it out HERE! On today's episode we're talking about what IS "historical fiction". It's a genre that seems to encapsulate so many other genres, crime, thrillers, action and adventure… but what actually makes a story historical fiction? The Historical …
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Christian/Miles Cameron interview! CHIVALRY, CIA and more!
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THE EMPEROR'S SWORD is out next week, 25th April 2024, so we thought we'd remind you of this chat we had with him... Another fantastic guest this week, as Christian (also known as Miles) Cameron joins Steven and Matthew to chat about his books, research, re-enactments, historical fiction, fantasy, sci-fi, being a member of US Intelligence, and load…
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We wrote a book TOGETHER! It's out next week!
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Yes, Matthew and Steven have written a non-fiction book together! It's called Tips for Writing, Publishing and Marketing Your Novel and it comes out on Thursday April 25th 2024. You can pre-order it now, and it will also be available to read with Kindle Unlimited. Check it out at the links here - https://mybook.to/RPSTipsForWriting The book will al…
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A missing tourist, a US-wide manhunt and the story of how a local celebrity, Kim Avis, became a fugitive after his dark past begins to catch up with him.By BBC Radio Scotland
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SHIELDWALL! Justin Hill, multi-award winning author, joins us today
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Justin Hill has skilfully crafted bestselling stories that traverse a diverse range of settings, from the captivating landscapes of China to the tumultuous epochs of the Early Middle Ages, to the nightmare, war-torn future of the universe of Warhammer 40k. He is the recipient of several prestigious literary accolades, including the Somerset Maugham…
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SJA Turney - Rome, Caesar, Caracalla, Vikings & so much more!
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Simon Turney, aka S.J.A. Turney, hails from Yorkshire, England. His passion for history shines through in his more than 50 novels, where meticulous research meets immersive storytelling. From ancient Rome, to medieval Europe, Turney's versatile body of work brings the past to life with vivid characters and compelling narratives. In his latest novel…
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Douglas Jackson! Nazis, Romans, mad emperors, serial killers & more!
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Useful links: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/908155.Douglas_Jackson https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast We’re on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast and X @rock_swords You can find out more about our books on www.matthewharffy.com and www.stevenamckay.com/ Douglas Jackson traded his role as assistant editor a…
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Something of an unplanned episode today. We were supposed to be interviewing someone but they didn't turn up! Since we still needed an episode we decided to go ahead and discuss researching the locations in our books, including some of our favourite trips to those places. As this was completely unscripted and we'd not prepared for it we do go off o…
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C.J. Box! Joe Pickett, Big Sky + lots more as we chat with the 10 million selling author!
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Today, we have the pleasure of interviewing acclaimed author, C.J. Box. C.J. Box is an award-winning, multi-million selling author, best known for his compelling mysteries set against the rugged landscapes of Wyoming. With over two dozen novels to his name, Box is most celebrated for his Joe Pickett series, featuring the dedicated and morally-drive…
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'Tis true, we are now on Patreon! Head on over to the link below and join us! In return you'll get bonus episodes (one is already available, as we discuss David Gemmell's classic novel Legend) and more fun perks. Go on, you know it makes sense... Become a Top Fan or a Producer today, and help us keep the show going, and growing, in 2024 and beyond!…
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Writing tools - Scrivener, Aeon etc. Can Matthew persuade Steven to adopt his writing tech?!
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We're now on Patreon! Get bonus episodes and other cool perks by signing up here: https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast It’s been ages since we recorded an episode and today for the first time in months it's just the two of us. We’re going to talk about planning and writing novels with particular focus on the tools we use, the processes we…
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Griff Hosker, inspirational historical novelist, is our guest today!
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Our guest today is the prolific author of historical fiction, Griff Hosker. It seems to me that Griff writes faster than many people read. He has written series of action-packed books covering everything from the Vikings to the Second World War and everything in between. He is a constant presence on Amazon lists and social media, and I for one am o…
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Vikings, the Great Heathen Army & Alfred the Great! Steven talks his new book.
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Matthew interviews Steven about his new book, THE HEATHEN HORDE, which came out on October 26th 2023! Viking raiders, Alfred the Great, and the usual fun chat - it's all in here so give it a listen and please spread the word. Buy the book here - https://mybook.to/HeathenHorde Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to our channel and leave a 5 star review if you…
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AI and Copyright for writers with the 'Copyright Waffle' podcast!
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Listen to the end to make sure you hear THEIR cover version of our theme song, and also OUR cover of their theme song! Our guests today are Chris Morrison and Jane Secker from the Copyright Waffle podcast which is dedicated to “Decoding copyright and bringing you enlightenment”. As well as hosting their podcast, Jane and Chris are also the authors …
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Author of Viking sagas, Eric Schumacher chats with us today!
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Our guest today is Eric Schumacher. Eric Schumacher is the author of six Amazon best-selling novels and one novella set in the Viking Age. By day, he is a brand storyteller and PR consultant for early stage video game and tech companies. By night, he wanders into the past, using known history and ancient tales to create stories about people living …
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Just a very quick message to wish our listeners and readers a very merry Christmas for 2023, and best wishes for 2024. Check it out! Don't forget we have a brand new ACOUSTIC version of our song "Christmas is Coming" available on all streaming outlets like Spotify, iTunes, YouTube Music etc so please give it a listen and share with your friends and…
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"Christmas is Coming" - our new song, OUT NOW!
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Yes, we have a brand new festive rock song for all you lucky boys and girls. Stream it NOW for free on Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, iTunes and all major streaming services, just search for "Christmas is coming Rock Paper Swords". Give it a like, add it to your Christmas music playlists, and please do share with your friends on soci…
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Christmas 2023 Rock,Paper,Swords/A Slice of Medieval Crossover!
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Today, as the Christmas season is upon us we are doing something a bit different. Rock, Paper, Swords is joining forces with our friends from the Slice of Medieval Podcast to bring you a special episode, where we will look back on the year that is drawing to a close and forward to the year ahead. If you enjoy this episode please leave a five star r…
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Not just Genghis Khan. The Mongol Invasion - Nicholas Morton interview!
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Our guest today is Nicholas Morton. Nicholas is an associate professor at Nottingham Trent University. He is the author or editor of nine books, including The Field of Blood and several other books about the Crusades and medieval Europe and the Near East. His latest book is The Mongol Storm: Making and Breaking Empires in the Medieval Near East. Th…
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Amazon KDP head Darren Hardy. Indie authors check this out!
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Our guest today is Darren Hardy, manager of the UK Author and Editorial Programmes at Amazon. Before that Darren was UK Manager for Kindle Direct Publishing. With nearly 20 years working at Amazon, Darren is the perfect person to answer all our questions about what goes on behind the scenes at KDP and what new and exciting plans Amazon has for the …
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Matt Lewis - we talk with the host of GONE MEDIEVAL!
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Our guest today is Matt Lewis. Matt is an author and historian of the medieval period, with a particular interest in the Wars of the Roses and Richard III. He has written biographies of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry III, Richard Duke of York, and Richard III, as well as accounts of The Anarchy, the Wars of the Roses, and Rebellion in the…
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A Savage Moon! We chat with Theodore Brun about Vikings & other good stuff
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Today's fantastic guest is Theodore Brun, author of The Wanderer Chronicles. He has a brand new book out NOW called A SAVAGE MOON, which Matthew read and endorsed thusly: 'A fever dream of dark lusts and an ancient evil. A Savage Moon drips with passion, betrayal, loyalty and loss. A wonderful book!' We spoke about his work and his life in general,…
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Matthew Harffy! A Day Of Reckoning & EXCLUSIVE REVEAL of his next book's title!
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Something a little different today - we have no guests for a change! Instead, Steven interviews Matthew about his brand new book A DAY OF RECKONING, the third in his A Time for Swords series, which came out yesterday. It's a fun episode covering various aspects of the writing/publishing process, and Matthew even tells us the title of his NEXT book …
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Angus Donald - Vikings, Robin Hood, and lots more!
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Our guest today is Angus Donald, author of the Outlaw Chronicles, about a medieval gangster called Robin Hood, a 17th-century series about an unusual but rather brilliant chap called Holcroft Blood. And writing as Angus Macallan, he has also tried his hand at fantasy with the Gates of Stone. His most recent novels are in the Fire Born series, set i…
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Paul Finch - 1066, crime writing, being in a "shieldwall" & Black Sabbath!
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Our guest today is Paul Finch. Paul Finch is an English author and scriptwriter. He has a diverse and very successful career, from the popular TV programme The Bill, to horror and fantasy stories and films, Doctor Who spin-off stories and the incredibly successful gritty crime series of DS Mark Heck Heckenberg novels, with over 1 MILLION book sales…
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S2 Ep34: Merfolk & The Men of Minch
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The Minch...A treacherous straight prone to sudden storms, strange wrecks, and intense superstition. It is steeped in ancient maritime myths and legends, with tales of various races of aquatic and amphibious humanoid beings. Referred to as Merfolk in the Hebrides and the Fin-folk in the Northern Isles. Whether their tales of treachery are based on …
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Dr Joanne Ball, Roman/battlefield archaeologist!
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Our guest today is Dr Joanne Ball. Joanne is a Roman archaeologist and battlefield archaeologist based at the University of Liverpool, with a PhD in Archaeology on the subject of Roman battlefield archaeology. She is a regular contributor to several magazines focused on ancient history and was co-editor of Ancient World Magazine. And is soon to hav…
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Ethan Bale/Clifford Beal - The medieval action adventure author joins us today!
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Our guest today is Ethan Bale, author of The Swords of the White Rose series. Book 1, Hawker and the King's Jewel came out last year and the follow up, The Lost Prince, has just been published. Ethan Bale (Clifford Beal), is a former defence journalist. Despite writing about modern military technology for much of his career, he was always passionat…
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S2 Ep33: Film Friday: The Dark Side of The Moon (1990)
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Hell in Space?... Welcome back, everyone! For another Film Friday as we delve into the 1990 B movie classic - Dark Side of The Moon. A place where indeed you don't want to find yourself stranded! Portals, the Bermuda Triangle and even the Devil himself are all on the table on this wild ride through frozen space in the year 2022 ;) Join us as we dis…
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Jason Kingsley OBE - Modern History TV & Rebellion - Judge Dredd, 2000AD, Sniper Elite & more!
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Our guest today is Jason Kingsley, an incredibly successful businessman and a technologist who is also obsessed with the past. He is CEO of Rebellion Developments, game developers responsible for such games as Alien Vs Predator and the hugely popular Sniper Elite. Rebellion Publishing purchased 2000AD in 2000, and publishes comics featuring some am…
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Over the past several years, rumours and reports have resurfaced of a massive pyramid structure said to be hidden underground in a chamber beneath the ice, snow and rock of the remote Alaska mountains. Towering over 1000 feet high, this alleged enigma remains buried between remote mountain ranges in a vast ice-covered landscape. If this structure d…
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