Best Vanessa Shepherd Podcasts (2024)

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104: TJ Klune 51:47

4M ago51:47

51:47

Travis interviews author TJ Klune about Heartsong, his latest book from Tor Books, and Somewhere Beyond the Sea, his upcoming book in September 2024. This episode is spoiler free! TJ and Travis discuss writing romance, managing expectations of different audiences, and the importance of books as escapism and refuge. Want your message featured on the…

1
103: Brian McClellan 1:07:15

2y ago1:07:15

1:07:15

Travis interviews fantasy author Brian McClellan about In The Shadow Of Lightning, the first book of his new epic fantasy series from Tor Books. From the author of the acclaimed Powder Mage series comes an epic fantasy where magic is a finite resource—and it’s running out. This episode is spoiler free! Brian and Travis discuss the business lessons …

1
102: John Scalzi Interview 59:05

2y ago59:05

59:05

Travis interviews science fiction author John Scalzi about The Kaiju Preservation Society, a standalone novel from Tor Books. It's a fast-paced, fun adventure full of giant monsters and a great way to escape from the world for a while. This episode is spoiler free! John and Travis discuss the difficulty of writing during lockdown, the historical co…

1
101: Vanessa Len Interview 44:09

2y ago44:09

44:09

Travis interviews author Vanessa Len about Only A Monster, her debut novel from HarperTeen. With the sweeping romance of Passenger and the dark fantasy edge of This Savage Song, this standout YA contemporary fantasy novel is the first in a planned trilogy. This episode is spoiler free! Vanessa and Travis discuss discuss who society views as monster…

1
100: Peng Shepherd Interview 41:38

2+ y ago41:38

41:38

Travis interviews author Peng Shepherd about The Cartographers, her latest standalone novel from William Morrow. From the critically acclaimed author of The Book of M, the Cartographers is a highly imaginative thriller about a young woman who discovers that a strange map in her deceased father’s belongings holds an incredible, deadly secret—one tha…

1
99: Lauren Panepinto 53:47

2+ y ago53:47

53:47

Travis interviews Lauren Panepinto, Creative Director of Orbit Books, about book design and more. Lauren and Travis discuss how a book cover gets made, how fonts and color theory attract a reader's eye, and the origin of the cloaked figure on so many fantasy covers. Want your message featured on the podcast? Find out more here. About Lauren Panepin…

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98: Reading Problematically 44:48

2+ y ago44:48

44:48

Let's talk about problematic books and our problematic reading habits. What could go wrong? Want your message featured on the podcast? Find out more here. Find Us Online: Blog Discord Twitter Instagram Support Us: Become a Patron Buy Us a Coffee Music: Intro: "The Legend of Iya" courtesy of https://philter.no Outro: "A Quest Unfolds" courtesy of ht…

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97: Fonda Lee Interview 46:29

3y ago46:29

46:29

Travis interviews author Fonda Lee about Jade Legacy, the third and final book in the award-winning Green Bone Saga trilogy from Orbit Books. The epic family saga of the Kaul siblings takes an intergenerational turn in this stunning conclusion to the series. This episode is spoiler free! Fonda and Travis discuss the nitty gritty of her worldbuildin…

1
96: Josiah Bancroft Interview 55:55

3y ago55:55

55:55

Travis interviews author Josiah Bancroft about The Fall of Babel, the fourth and final book in his highly acclaimed Books of Babel series published by Orbit Books. The secrets of the tower will finally be revealed! This episode is spoiler free! Josiah and Travis discuss the perils of social media, approaching prose with a poet's ear, and how the st…

1
95: Freya Marske Interview 56:24

3y ago56:24

56:24

Travis interviews author Freya Marske about her debut fantasy novel, A Marvellous Light, which is available now from Tordotcom. Red White & Royal Blue meets Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell in debut author Freya Marske’s A Marvellous Light, featuring an Edwardian England full of magic, contracts, and conspiracies. Freya and Travis discuss the best …

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94: Melissa Caruso Interview 51:58

3y ago51:58

51:58

Travis interviews author Melissa Caruso about the second book in her Rooks and Ruin trilogy, The Quicksilver Court, which is available now from Orbit Books. Loyalties are tested and nations clash in this fresh epic fantasy book bursting with adventure, intrigue, ambition, and deadly magic. Melissa and Travis discuss the battle tactics of LARPing, w…

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93: John Gwynne Interview 42:32

3y ago42:32

42:32

Travis interviews author John Gwynne about the first entry in his new Bloodsworn Saga from Orbit Books, The Shadow of the Gods. In a Norse-inspired world where the gods destroyed each other in a cataclysmic war, three warriors seek to shape the fate of the world. John and Travis discuss Viking reenactment, the pros and cons of various melee weapons…

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92: Joe Abercrombie Interview 1:04:28

3y ago1:04:28

1:04:28

Travis interviews author Joe Abercrombie about the final book in his Age of Madness trilogy from Orbit Books, The Wisdom of Crowds. Some say that to change the world you must first burn it down. Now that belief will be tested in the crucible of revolution... Joe and Travis discuss how he developed his unique writing voice, the nonfiction books he u…

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91: Xiran Jay Zhao Interview 52:57

3y ago52:57

52:57

Travis interviews author Xiran Jay Zhao about their debut novel, Iron Widow. Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale in this science fantasy reimagining of the only female emperor in Chinese history. Iron Widow releases September 21 from Penguin Teen! Xiran and Travis discuss the book's anime inspiration, Chinese history and mythology, and Batman's d…

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90: C.S. Pacat Interview 53:22

3y ago53:22

53:22

Travis interviews author C.S. Pacat about the first book in her new fantasy trilogy, Dark Rise. From the acclaimed author of the Captive Prince series comes a tale of heroes and villains being reborn to continue an ancient magical war. Cat and Travis discuss writing queernormative worlds, pushing back against and reimagining the classics, and the s…

1
89: Cameron Johnston Interview 47:43

3y ago47:43

47:43

Travis interviews author Cameron Johnston about his latest fantasy novel, The Maleficent Seven. This standalone fantasy from Angry Robot features a team up of seven deadly villains and shows that when you're all out of heroes, all that's left are the villains. Cameron and Travis discuss blacksmithing, the impact of writing groups, and the art and j…

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88: Lauren Shippen Interview 56:03

3y ago56:03

56:03

Travis interviews author and podcaster Lauren Shippen about her third Bright Sessions novel, Some Faraway Place. This standalone story from Tor Teen features Rose, who has her humdrum life flipped upside down when she starts to travel into dreams. Lauren and Travis discuss the joys of fanfiction, the power of online communities, and how to craft an…

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87: Shelley Parker-Chan Interview 58:42

3y ago58:42

58:42

Travis interviews author Shelley Parker-Chan about their debut novel, She Who Became the Sun, the first book of The Radiant Emperor duology from Tor Books. Mulan meets The Song of Achilles in this bold, queer, and lyrical reimagining of the rise of the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Shelley and Travis discuss crafting hyperemotional stories,…

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86: Claire North Interview 57:09

3y ago57:09

57:09

Travis Interviews author Claire North about Notes from the Burning Age, a standalone climate thriller from Orbit Books. From one of the most imaginative writers of her generation comes an extraordinary vision of the future, which puts dystopian fiction in a new light. Claire and Travis discuss using your phone for self-defense, writing nonlinear em…

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85: Megan E. O'Keefe Interview 46:05

3y ago46:05

46:05

Travis interviews author Megan E. O'Keefe about Catalyst Gate, the thrilling conclusion to The Protectorate space opera trilogy from Orbit Books. The universe is under threat and an ancient alien intelligence threatens to bring humanity down unless Major Sanda Greeve and her crew can stop it. Megan and Travis discuss fractal plotting, the creeping …

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84: Tasha Suri Interview 50:35

3+ y ago50:35

50:35

Travis interviews author Tasha Suri about The Jasmine Throne, the first book in her now Burning Kingdoms trilogy from Orbit Books. This epic fantasy features a vengeful princess seeking to depose her brother from his throne and a priestess searching for her family. Together, they will change the fate of an empire. Tasha and Travis discuss what make…

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83: Fifty Shades of Grey Morality 47:25

3+ y ago47:25

47:25

We like to discuss morally grey characters all the time, but all have a slightly different definition for what "morally grey" even means. So what exactly does it mean? And what are some examples of grey morality done well? Want us to read your message on the podcast? Find out more here. Things Mentioned: Sistersong by Lucy Holland The Traitor Baru …

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82: Suyi Davies Okungbowa Interview 59:51

3+ y ago59:51

59:51

Travis interviews author Suyi Davies Okungbowa about Son of the Storm, the first book in his new Nameless Republic trilogy from Orbit Books. This epic fantasy is a sweeping tale of violent conquest and forgotten magic set in a world inspired by the pre-colonial empires of West Africa. Suyi and Travis discuss how writers can apply strategic project …

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81: Victoria Aveyard Interview 51:33

3+ y ago51:33

51:33

Travis interviews author Victoria Aveyard about Realm Breaker, the first book in her new series from HarperTeen. This epic fantasy begins where hope is lost and asks: When the heroes have fallen, who will take up the sword? Victoria and Travis discuss how she builds new worlds, ways to apply screenwriting techniques to writing novels, and the press…

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80: Gabriela Houston Interview 1:06:04

3+ y ago1:06:04

1:06:04

Travis interviews author Gabriela Houston about her debut novel, The Second Bell. This standalone fantasy novel from Angry Robot follows a young striga fighting to harness the power of her second heart, while her mother sacrifices everything to stop her. Gabriela and Travis discuss Slavic folklore, the portrayal of women in fantasy, and how to make…

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Announcement: Release Schedule 3:49

3+ y ago3:49

3:49

I (Travis) am going to be a dad in September and have been thinking on how to restructure the podcast given my soon-to-be nonexistent free time. With that in mind, the podcast will be moving back to our original bi-weekly schedule, with new episodes releasing every other Tuesday. We're also restructuring our Patreon tiers and goals. The podcast has…

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79: All About Book Promotion 36:36

3+ y ago36:36

36:36

We love talking about books, and it makes our week to hear someone picked up a book based on us promoting it. So how do we promote books? Which methods and mediums are the most effective? The Inn attempts to lay out their thoughts on promoting books. Interested in sponsoring a podcast episode or purchasing an ad? Find out more here. What We're Read…

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78: (Patreon Bonus #2) Memorable Conventions 15:10

3+ y ago15:10

15:10

It's time for our second bonus episode! This time, we asked authors to share some of their favorite stories from conventions they've attended. There's everything from meeting your heroes to accidentally taking part in a very different sort of con. Thank you so much to all of our Patrons, who make running this podcast possible. In addition to this b…

1
77: Elizabeth Knox Interview 58:38

3+ y ago58:38

58:38

Travis interviews author Elizabeth Knox about their latest fantasy novel, The Absolute Book. This bewitching epic fantasy from Penguin Michael Joseph is about a revenge killing, a mysterious scroll box that has survived centuries of fires, and the book that changed everything. Elizabeth and Travis discuss the unlikely origin story for the Absolute …

1
76: C. L. Clark Interview 47:23

3+ y ago47:23

47:23

Travis interviews author C. L. Clark about their debut fantasy novel, The Unbroken. In this epic fantasy from Orbit Books, two women clash in a world full of rebellion, espionage, and military might on the far outreaches of a crumbling desert empire. Cherae and Travis discuss post-colonial war narratives, editing audio short stories for PodCastle, …

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75: E. J. Beaton Interview 57:36

3+ y ago57:36

57:36

Travis interviews author E. J. Beaton about her debut fantasy novel, The Councillor. This Machiavellian fantasy from DAW Books follows a scholar’s quest to choose the next ruler of her nation amidst lies, conspiracy, and assassination. E. J. and Travis discuss building character through fight scenes, the difficulty in removing the patriarchal eleme…

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74: Podcast Critics Roundtable w/ Elena Fernández Collins & Wil Williams 49:32

3+ y ago49:32

49:32

This week we're joined by podcasters Elena Fernández Collins and Wil Williams. Between the two of them, they wear the hats of podcast critic, host, line editor, voice actor, sound designer, and more. They've helped shape the state of modern podcasting and are continuing to shape its future. They share their thoughts on the current state of fiction …

1
73: Sarah Gailey Interview 1:01:49

3+ y ago1:01:49

1:01:49

Travis interviews author Sarah Gailey about their latest book, The Echo Wife. This standalone thriller from Tor Books features a brilliant scientist who catches her husband having an affair with her clone after stealing her research. Sarah and Travis discuss the wonders of vine ripened tomatoes, pushing back against narrative ableism, and how our i…

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72: T. Frohock Interview 1:11:26

3+ y ago1:11:26

1:11:26

Travis interviews author T. Frohock about her latest book from Harper Voyager, A Song With Teeth. It's the third novel in the Los Nefilim series, which follows the half-angel Nefilim through the political strife of the Spanish Civil War and World War 2. Teresa and Travis discuss the women spies of World War 2, the Nazi attempt to create super soldi…

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71: The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water: Part 1 42:57

3+ y ago42:57

42:57

Dan and Luke from the Don't Call it a Book Club podcast join Travis to discuss Zen Cho's novella, The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water. We'd love to say we had a deeply intellectual conversation, but then again, that's why we don't call it a book club. Interested in sponsoring a podcast episode or purchasing an ad? Find out more here. Find…

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70: Let's Talk About Legend (A Fictional Conversation Crossover) 56:55

3+ y ago56:55

56:55

This week the hosts of A Fictional Conversation join Travis to discuss the 1985 film Legend. This episode covers full spoilers! We also discuss the original Dune film over on A Fictional Conversation. Check out that episode here! Interested in sponsoring a podcast episode or purchasing an ad? Find out more here. Find Bobby Online: Twitter Find Dani…

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69: Editor Roundtable w/ Diana Pho and Nivia Evans 58:58

3+ y ago58:58

58:58

Editors play a crucial role in creating the books we love. They acquire books for publishers and help authors polish their manuscripts into the wonderful stories we pick off the shelves. And that's far from all they do. Joining us this week are Diana Pho (Story Producer at SerialBox) and Nivia Evans (editor at Orbit Books). They explain the ins and…

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68: Mike Chen Interview 1:05:08

3+ y ago1:05:08

1:05:08

Travis interviews science fiction author Mike Chen about his latest book from MIRA books, We Could Be Heroes. It's a standalone story where a superhero and supervillain accidentally meet in the same support group and decide to become friends, and it's every bit as lovely as that sounds. Mike and Travis discuss how to make the most of the Save the C…

1
67: M.A. Carrick Interview 1:11:05

3+ y ago1:11:05

1:11:05

Travis interviews authors Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms about their latest book from Orbit Books, The Mask of Mirrors. Marie and Alyc are writing the Rook & Rose trilogy under the joint name M.A. Carrick, and their masterful worldbuilding shines through in this story of con artists, nobles, and vigilantes. The discussion takes a deep dive into world…

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66: Our Most Anticipated Books of 2021 40:40

3+ y ago40:40

40:40

After at least a decade, 2020 is over! With a little luck, 2021 will be a better and brighter year for all of us. If nothing else, there are certainly a lot of great books to look forward to! The Inn attempts to narrow down the dozens of books they're excited about for 2021, as well as set some reading goals for the upcoming year. What We're Readin…

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65: Our Favorite Books of 2020 53:52

3+ y ago53:52

53:52

`Tis the season... for Best Of lists! We'll be posting a separate blog post for our collective favorite reads of the year later, but for now we have Sara, Jenia, and Travis sharing their favorites with you here. To get the standard disclaimers out of the way, these are simply the books we read during 2020 that we enjoyed the most. We don't pretend …

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64: Jordan Cobb Interview 1:10:18

3+ y ago1:10:18

1:10:18

Travis interviews actor and podcaster Jordan Cobb about her newest audio fiction show, Primordial Deep from No Such Thing Productions. The show's tagline is "There's no such thing as extinct" and follows a crew as they descend to the depths of the ocean floor to research the sudden reappearance of prehistoric creatures. Jordan and Travis discuss th…

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63: Sam Hawke Interview 1:26:41

3+ y ago1:26:41

1:26:41

Travis interviews fantasy author Sam Hawke about her latest book, Hollow Empire, out now from Tor Books. This concludes the Poison War duology, which stands out for its mystery elements, political intrigue, and optimism toward humanity. Plus, poison. So much poison. Sam and Travis discuss her contractual obligation to bring her fellow lawyers cake,…

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62: Jonathan Sims Interview 52:34

4y ago52:34

52:34

Travis interviews podcaster and author Jonathan Sims about his debut novel, Thirteen Storeys from Gollancz. The book follows the tenants of a haunted building who are invited to a dinner party with the billionaire who lives in the penthouse on the top floor. At the end of the party, the host is dead... and none of the guests will say what happened.…

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61: How to Run an Online Convention 54:22

4y ago54:22

54:22

This year has seen an explosion of online science fiction and fantasy conventions. Existing conventions were forced to switch to a virtual format, new conventions were formed, and fringe programming provided content for those of us unable to attend conventions. While most of this was out of necessity (thanks, 2020), these online events will likely …

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60: V.E. Schwab Interview 48:10

4y ago48:10

48:10

Travis interviews author V.E. Schwab about her latest book, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue from Tor Books. The book follows the story of an immortal woman cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets as she attempts to leave her mark on the world. Victoria and Travis discuss the time she was arrested for hitchhiking in France, the behind the sce…

1
Episode 14 - Cocktail Hour! Autumn Pimms Cup 8:39

4y ago8:39

8:39

Episode #14 Autumn Pimms Cup [00:00:00] Terrica: Welcome to the marketing cocktails podcast. We're your hosts. Terrica Strozier, that's me a brand designer and sugar addict and Vanessa Shepherd, launch strategist and content creator. With a love of all things Disney. Each week, you'll hear our behind the scenes conversations and expert advice on ma…

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Episode 13 - Key Essentials to a Solid Marketing Foundation 23:54

4y ago23:54

23:54

Episode #13 - Essentials to a Solid Marketing Foundation [00:00:00] Terrica: Welcome to the marketing cocktails podcast. We're your hosts, Terrica Strozier, that's me a brand designer and sugar addict and Vanessa Shepherd, launch strategist and content creator. With a love of all things Disney. Each week, you'll hear, our behind the scenes conversa…

1
59: Anna Stephens Interview

4y ago

—

Travis interviews fantasy author Anna Stephens about The Stone Knife, the first book in The Songs of the Drowned trilogy from Harper Voyager. It's set in a Central American inspired jungle world where a magical empire is attempting to conquer its neighboring tribes, who happen to be a bit busy fighting the reptilian siren monsters lurking in the wa…

1
Episode 12 - How to Use Pinterest to Boost Leads & Sales 55:44

4y ago55:44

55:44

Episode # 12 – All About Pinterest [00:00:00] Terrica: Welcome to the marketing cocktails podcast. We're your hosts, Terrica Strozier, that's me a brand designer and sugar attic and Vanessa Shepherd, launch strategist and content creator and lover of all things Disney. Each week, you'll hear our behind the scenes conversation and expert advice on m…

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