Rock, Paper, Swords!
By Matthew Harffy and Steven A. McKay
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 supporting the podcast on Patreon. www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast
Rock, Paper, Swords!Sep 16, 2022
Giles Kristian, author of Arthurian, Viking and award winning thriller novels joins us today!
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 bestselling RAVEN Viking trilogy. For his next series, he drew on a long-held fascination with the English Civil War to chart the fortunes of a family divided by this brutal conflict in The Bleeding Land and Brothers’ Fury. Giles also co-wrote Wilbur Smith’s No.1 bestseller, Golden Lion. In The Rise of Sigurd novels he returned to the world of the Vikings. His Sunday Times bestseller, Lancelot, is currently in development for TV. He followed Lancelot with Camelot, and now, Where Blood Runs Cold is his debut contemporary thriller.
His latest book, ARTHUR, is out this June!
Welcome to Rock, Paper, Swords, Giles Kristian!
What IS historical fiction? How do YOU define it?
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 Novel Society defines the genre as works "written at least fifty years after the events described". Do you agree with that? What about alternative history? What about novels that were written as contemporary fiction but are now hundreds of years old? What about fiction set in a time SO remote that it's essentially speculative? We discuss these points and more!
Take a listen to this fascinating topic and please let us know what you think constitutes "historical fiction".
Useful links:
Support us on one of our 3 tiers on Patreon - patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_fiction
If you're an author or publisher and would like to sponsor one of our episodes, please get in touch. You can find us on social media or email us at rockpaperswordspodcast@gmail.com
Christian/Miles Cameron interview! CHIVALRY, CIA and more!
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 loads more! Some great chat and brilliant anecdotes in this one, you must check it out, Christian was a superb guest!
Christian's website - https://christiancameronauthor.com/
We wrote a book TOGETHER! It's out next week!
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 also be FREE to our Patreon TOP FANS and PRODUCERS so if you'd like to sign up, head over to Patreon now and check out our tiers:
patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast
Whether you're a novice or a veteran of the writing world, Tips for Writing, Publishing and Marketing Your Novel is an indispensable companion for every author's journey. Pre-order your copy now!
SHIELDWALL! Justin Hill, multi-award winning author, joins us today
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, Betty Trask, and Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prizes, and his works have earned acclaim from publications such as the Sunday Times, Washington Post, and The Times, where his books have been celebrated as notable additions to their annual lists.
Welcome to RPS, Justin Hill!
Useful links:
https://www.justinhillauthor.com/
We’re on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast and X @rock_swords
SJA Turney - Rome, Caesar, Caracalla, Vikings & so much more!
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, Caracalla, the fourth and final novel in the Damned Emperors series. Simon is back in Rome, this time in the 2nd century where the rivalry between two brothers threatens to tear the empire apart.
Welcome to RPS, Simon Turney!
Remember you can now support us on Patreon and get some nice perks like bonus episodes every month! Check it out and please consider helping us keep the show growing in 2024 and beyond!
patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast
Douglas Jackson! Nazis, Romans, mad emperors, serial killers & more!
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 at The Scotsman for a full-time writing career in 2009. With novels published under his real name and the pen name James Douglas, Jackson has carved out a niche in historical fiction. His debut, "Caligula" (2008), weaves a tale of intrigue in the court of the famously mad emperor, followed by "Claudius" (2009) and the long-running Gaius Valerius Verrens series, starting with "Hero of Rome" (2010).
His latest novel is Blood Roses, a thrilling crime novel set against the backdrop of 1939 Warsaw and the beginning of the Second World War.
Welcome to RPS, Douglas Jackson!
Thanks to our Patreon Producer, Luke Gauci!
Researching locations for authors
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 on tangents here and there, but we hope you find something useful or at least entertaining in our chat!
We've rearranged the Zoom call with the guest who didn't appear so look out for that in a future episode (if he shows up!)...
Remember you can get bonus episodes and other nice perks by becoming one of our patrons. Join up at the link below:
C.J. Box! Joe Pickett, Big Sky + lots more as we chat with the 10 million selling author!
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-driven game warden. He’s also an Executive Producer on Paramount+’s Joe Pickett series, and an EP on ABC’s Big Sky, which was based on his Cassie Dewell novels.
Infusing his narratives with authentic details, drawing on his passion for wildlife, nature, and the complexities of rural life, his novels transcend traditional genre boundaries, appealing to both mystery enthusiasts and fans of gripping action tales.
Join us today as we explore his creative process, the dynamic characters that populate his novels, and the unique elements that make his stories unforgettable. Welcome, C.J. Box!
Useful links:
Join us! A Patreon announcement!
'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!
patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast
Thank you,
Steven and Matthew
Writing tools - Scrivener, Aeon etc. Can Matthew persuade Steven to adopt his writing tech?!
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 follow, and what seems to work for us!
Gone are the days when pen and paper, or a simple typewriter (remember Tipp-Ex?!) were the only tools available to aspiring authors. Nowadays there's all sorts of things available to help turn your ideas into a bestselling novel.
Steven is old school, so he's been using Libre Office Writer/Microsoft Word and paper notebooks exclusively since he first started writing novels a decade ago. Matthew is much more into the tech side of things, using software packages like Scrivener, Aeon Timeline, and Scapple.
Will Matthew be able to persuade Steven to adopt these fancy new tools, including a £200 electronic notebook, or will Steven refuse to "fix what ain't broke"? Join us to find out!
LINKS
Scrivener - https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview
Aeon Timeline - https://timeline.app/
Scapple - https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scapple/overview
Remarkable 2 - https://remarkable.com/store/remarkable-2
Griff Hosker, inspirational historical novelist, is our guest today!
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 often in awe at the quantity of books he puts out and the number of steadfast fans he has garnered over the years. It is great to finally meet and have a chance to put some questions to him, perhaps finding out how he does it (and maybe some tips on how to sell almost 2 MILLION books like he has)!
Welcome to RPS, Griff!
Vikings, the Great Heathen Army & Alfred the Great! Steven talks his new book.
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 can!
AI and Copyright for writers with the 'Copyright Waffle' podcast!
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 of the book Copyright and E-learning: A guide for practitioners.
Chris is Copyright and Licensing Specialist at Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford. Jane is Programme Director for the MA in Academic Practice and Senior Lecturer in Educational Development at the City University of London.
You’re probably wondering why we’ve invited experts in copyright onto a podcast about historical action and adventure but, if you remember, we did an episode recently about the rise of Artificial Intelligence and how it was beginning to affect writers in particular. So, hopefully our guests today can shed some light on this issue and maybe even set our minds at ease. Or not! Let’s find out!
Author of Viking sagas, Eric Schumacher chats with us today!
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 in turbulent times.
His fascination with the past, coupled with a love of writing, led him to write Hakon’s Saga, a Viking historical fiction series set in 10th-century Norway.
His latest series is about the notorious Viking, Olaf Tryggvason. The first novel in Olaf’s Saga, Forged by Iron, was published in the spring of 2020. The third novel, Wolves of Wagria, was released in November of 2022. A fourth book is in the works.
Welcome to RPS, Eric.
Christmas Greetings 2023!
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 enemies!
Have a good one!
Steven and Matthew
"Christmas is Coming" - our new song, OUT NOW!
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 social media! Look out too for an acoustic version, which will be dropping any day now and is a really cool little take on the same tune...
Thank you for joining us in 2023, we hope you enjoy this little Christmas gift from us.
Cover artwork by Dave Slaney (with some Xmas-y additions by us!).
Music by Steven, lyrics and vocals by Matthew. Copyright Rock, Paper, Swords! 2023
Christmas 2023 Rock,Paper,Swords/A Slice of Medieval Crossover!
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 rating wherever you listened!
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OUR LISTENERS!
Links - A Slice of Medieval
Shakin' Stevens interview mentioned
Our brand new festive rock song - "Christmas is Coming" - stream it free HERE!
Not just Genghis Khan. The Mongol Invasion - Nicholas Morton interview!
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. The book tells the story of how the Mongol Empire upended the geopolitics of the Near East, reshaping the balance of world power and transforming the region forever.
Welcome to RPS, Nic!
Amazon KDP head Darren Hardy. Indie authors check this out!
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 future.
Join us today as we chat about things like:
The Kindle Storyteller Award - how to enter, and what you can win (20 grand!)
The "magic formula" for understanding Amazon's algorithms (there isn't one!)
Amazon's new book categories and how to use them best
Amazon's charts
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how it might affect KDP in future be it for "writing" nonsensical books, or affecting the charts
Paperback printing
And a load more!
If you have a question that we didn't ask Darren please post it here, or on our social media pages and we'll pass them on!
https://www.facebook.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast and Twitter @rock_swords If you're an indie author, you need to listen to this one!
Matt Lewis - we talk with the host of GONE MEDIEVAL!
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 Middle Ages.
Matt is also chair of the Richard the Third Society and host of the popular Gone Medieval podcast.
Welcome to RPS, Matt.
A Savage Moon! We chat with Theodore Brun about Vikings & other good stuff
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, discovering his life is often as exciting as his books, so make sure you give it a listen.
Note - Steven tested positive for COVID just a couple of days after recording this, and you can hear it in his voice so that's why he says even less than usual in this episode!
Theo's website - https://www.theodorebrun.com
Matthew Harffy! A Day Of Reckoning & EXCLUSIVE REVEAL of his next book's title!
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 (the Western he's been talking about for ages, it's finished)!
Give it a listen, and make sure you buy A Day of Reckoning...
Angus Donald - Vikings, Robin Hood, and lots more!
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 in 8th century Europe. Book four in the series, King of the North is published by Canelo on 28th September.
Welcome to RPS, Angus.
http://angusdonaldbooks.com/
Paul Finch - 1066, crime writing, being in a "shieldwall" & Black Sabbath!
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!
Paul’s latest pivot has been to move into the historical fiction genre, writing under the name P.W. Finch. USURPER, set in the cataclysmic year of 1066, was published earlier this year.
Welcome to RPS, Paul.
Dr Joanne Ball, Roman/battlefield archaeologist!
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 have published the Publius Quinctilius Varus: The Man Who Lost Three Roman Legions in the Teutoburg Disaster.
Welcome to RPS, Joanne.
Ethan Bale/Clifford Beal - The medieval action adventure author joins us today!
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 passionate about history, particularly the Renaissance and early modern Europe.
Over the years he has been flung about in military aircraft, trained in 17th century rapier, fired flintlock pistols, messed about in boats, and ridden both horses and motorcycles. These days he is usually found wielding a pen and not a sword.
Welcome to RPS, Ethan!
Jason Kingsley OBE - Modern History TV & Rebellion - Judge Dredd, 2000AD, Sniper Elite & more!
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 amazing characters such as Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog, Roy of the Rovers, and Slaine.
In 2017 Jason started a medieval history YouTube channel called Modern History TV, along with his brother Chris Kingsley, and senior producer Brian Jenkins, under the banner of Rebellion Productions. The YouTube channel has over three quarters of a million subscribers and provides a wealth of information. He also hosts the podcast, Future Imperfect.
In 2012, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for service to the economy.
Jason has a brand new book due out on July 18th 2023, Leading the Rebellion: Questing to Succeed in Work and Life
Welcome to Rock, Paper, Swords, Chief Judge Kingsley! ;-)
Alex Gough - Carbo Chronicles, ancient Rome, swearing in historical novels, music and loads more!
Alex Gough is an author of Roman historical adventures. The Carbo Chronicles, including Watchmen of Rome and Bandits of Rome, was written as a result of a lifelong obsession with ancient Rome, and the culmination of a lot of research into the underclasses of the time. He has also written a collection of adventures following Carbo and other characters from Watchmen of Rome, where you can learn more about their rich lives.
Alex loves our theme song so much that he recorded a cool tribute to it which you can find at the end of the episode.
If you're a musician and want to record your own cover version, send it to us and we'll use it in a future episode (unless it's really, REALLY bad lol)!
A couple of announcements!
This is a super short episode just to give listeners an update on how we're planning on moving forward with the podcast. Matthew's latest book, "Forest of Foes", gets a paperback release, and Steven has also just made a brand new MODERN DAY short story available for pre-order, called "Have You Seen This?" so we discuss those a little bit too.
Enjoy, and we really hope you liked the latest episode with Robin Warder of The Trail Went Cold podcast. Look out for our next episode on June 23rd which features an interview with bestselling historical author ALEX GOUGH!
HAVE YOU SEEN THIS? buy link (FREE with Kindle Unlimited!)
FOREST OF FOES paperback buy link (also FREE with Kindle Unlimited!)
Robin Warder/The Trail Went Cold - true crime inspiration for historical fiction tales!
TRIGGER WARNING! At 13:16 there's a VERY creepy answerphone message, listener discretion advised, don't listen alone in the dark... Today’s guest Robin Warder has written articles for various websites including Cracked.com, but he’s most well known for his excellent podcast The Trail Went Cold which is a true crime podcast he’s been doing since 2016, publishing more than 300 episodes in that time.
You may be wondering what this has to do with "historical action and adventure" but readers of Steven's Forest Lord novellas Faces of Darkness and Sworn to God will know they were based on true stories - true stories covered in episodes of The Trail Went Cold! We chat about those in this episode, and much more. This is something a little different and we really hope you enjoy it.
Welcome to Rock, Paper, Swords, Robin!
Trail Went Cold episode 18, Cindy James (Faces of Darkness inspiration) - https://www.trailwentcold.com/2016/10/12/the-trail-went-cold-episode-18-cindy-james/
Trail Went Cold 159 (Sworn to God inspiration) - https://www.trailwentcold.com/2020/01/29/the-trail-went-cold-episode-159-charles-southern/
Robin's articles on Cracked.com (brilliant stuff this!) - https://www.cracked.com/members/Robinwarder
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the impact it might have on writers, artists, and creatives in general. Scary stuff! Or is it...? Includes an AI-written song!
Artificial Intelligence, or AI for short, is a hot topic at the moment. Perhaps the HOTTEST topic. It is cropping up in the news every day and there are predictions that it will take our jobs away or even take over the world! It probably isn’t quite as dire as those predictions would have us believe, but there is no doubt that AI generated text and images are here to stay, not to mention many other uses that we haven’t even foreseen yet. There will be impacts on our daily lives and creatives are especially worried about their livelihoods as computers become more and more adept at doing what only humans could do till now.
We’re not experts on the subject and it is a HUGE subject, but we thought we’d have a quick chat about what AI can do now, what it might be able to do in the future and some of the complex issues arising as a result of this new technology.
Cover image was created by AI from directions Matthew gave it. It's supposed to be Beobrand from his Bernicia Chronicles lmao!
Ben Kane! Rome, Spartacus, medieval/ Richard the Lionheart, now Vikings in Ireland!
Ben Kane will need little introduction to many of our listeners, but here goes anyway. Ben is a historical fiction novelist, best known for his books set in the ancient world, particularly the Roman empire. His series include The Forgotten Legion, Spartacus, and the Hannibal series of books.
In 2013, Ben along with fellow novelists Anthony Riches and Russell Whitfield - walked the entire length of Hadrian's Wall for charity, wearing full Roman military kit. Then in 2014, they walked again in, but this time in Italy, raising over £26,500. A film was made of their walk, entitled The Road to Rome with Sir Ian McKellen providing the voiceover.
More recently, Ben has diversified into the medieval period with a trilogy of novels about Richard the Lionheart. His new book, published on 25th May 2023 is, Napoleon’s Spy and marks a further time shift into the early 19th century.
Welcome to Rock, Paper, Swords, Ben!
Viking Blood & Blade, and Kindle Storyteller WINNER Peter Gibbons chats to us today!
Peter Gibbons is an author based in Kildare, Ireland. He completed a Law Degree in Liverpool University before embarking on a career in the Insurance Industry.
After many years working in the UK & Ireland he decided to follow his dreams and wrote his debut novel, Viking Blood and Blade.
After smashing into the independently published historical fiction scene in 2021, he had his second series picked up by a publisher and went on to win the prestigious Kindle Storyteller Award in 2022.
Welcome to Rock, Paper, Swords, Peter!
Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson talks Norse/Viking mythology and his new album - RökFlöte!
Incredibly, we managed to get an interview with the legendary Tull frontman (Steven's favourite band in case you didn't hear him mention it on every previous episode...)!
Ian talked with us about the brand new, rocking Jethro Tull album RökFlöte, Norse mythology, Vladimir Putin appearing at a Tull meet-and-greet, the time journalists demanded details of his upcoming gender reassignment surgery, Broadsword 40th Anniversary boxset details, Under Wraps getting REAL drums, how he's a "bit of a fan" of Motörhead despite the umlauts, bands like Mötley Crüe using backing tapes on stage instead of playing completely live, how performing helps his asthma (not COPD!), how work is going on the NEXT album and its planned release date, and how he's a cranky old guy like Morrissey these days!
We were told we'd get, at most, 45 minutes with Ian but we ended up chatting for over 80 minutes and it was just brilliant. We think you'll enjoy this episode. Give it a listen and check out RökFlöte, it's superb!
Book covers! What makes a great cover ? Also, Steven's new book's COVER REVEAL is today!
On today’s episode we’re going to talk about the first thing that most readers see before they’ve read a single word of a book. The old adage goes that one should never judge a book by its cover, but we all know that the majority of people do just that.
A great cover can get a prospective reader to take a chance on a new author, and a bad cover can put people off, even though the story might be amazing.
We’ll take a look at some of the things that make covers work and also talk about our own journey with the covers to our books and the decisions we’ve taken.
NOTES
Steven’s cover designers, More Visual - https://bookartwork.com/historical/
The first cover for The Abbey of Death - https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1757691654257875&set=a.146569898703400
Blog post about creating the axe for Wolf of Wessex - https://bernicia-chronicles.blogspot.com/2019/06/art-imitating-art-birth-of-axe.html
Original The Serpent Sword cover - https://bernicia-chronicles.blogspot.com/2015/02/potential-cover-reveal-serpent-sword.html
Lots of great quotes/tips in this article: https://nybookeditors.com/2016/10/create-standout-book-cover-beginners/
Tools:
https://www.canva.com/create/book-covers/
https://www.fotor.com/design/book-cover
https://www.visme.co/book-cover-maker/
https://www.adobe.com/express/create/cover/book
Todd Kerns, bassist for Guns 'N' Roses guitarist SLASH joins us today!
Another episode and another musician guest. Todd Kerns (aka Todd "Dammit" Kerns) is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and producer. He is most noted for being the bass player and backup singer in “Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators”, and for being the front man of “The Age of Electric”. His latest album is with Heroes and Monsters and it ROCKS! Check this out - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-KGpbcH8qU&ab_channel=FrontiersMusicsrl
While touring the world, playing to sold out audiences, he has had the opportunity to share the stage with some of rock's biggest names, including some of his own personal heroes including Slash, Lemmy, Alice Cooper, Duff McKagan, Fergie, Bill Murray, Sammy Hagar and many more.
Having played with so much rock royalty, that must make Todd “Rock Nobility” at the very least!
Welcome to Rock, Paper, Swords, Todd!
David Gilman, author of the Master of War series, chats with us today!
David Gilman has worked as a firefighter, professional photographer, he was a soldier in the Parachute Regiment’s Reconnaissance Platoon and a Marketing Manager for an international publishing company in South Africa. From 2000 until 2009 he was principal writer on the TV series A Touch Of Frost.
His MASTER OF WAR series follows the fortunes of Thomas Blackstone, a village stonemason in England sent to fight with King Edward’s army as an archer against the French in the 14th century in the 100 years war.
David is also the author of two standalone novels for adults, The Last Horseman, set during the Boer War and Night Flight to Paris, a WW2 novel that pits a reluctant hero against the Nazi forces in Paris in 1943.
The Englishman is a new thriller series introducing Dan Raglan, a contemporary knight errant who served in the French Foreign Legion. The second book in the series, Betrayal, published in 2022, was followed by Resurrection, in 2023.
His DANGER ZONE YA adventure series, featuring plucky hero Max Gordon. THE DEVIL’S BREATH won the prestigious French award, Le Prix Polar Jeunesse, was shortlisted for the Manchester Book Award and the Spellbinding Award, nominated for the Carnegie Medal, and picked for the UK government’s recommended reading list for boys. It was also shortlisted for the 2010-2011 Isinglass Teen Read Award in New Hampshire, USA.
Welcome to Rock, Paper, Swords, David!
VIKINGS! Jethro Tull - RökFlöte album review.
It's a first for us here at RPS - an album review! Well, ROCK, paper, swords, right? There's two very good reasons for us doing this review (even putting aside the fact Steven is Tull's biggest fan):
1 - We were sent advance copies of the album, so it's only fair we did our best to listen to it and get an honest review out before the album is released. So here it is!
2 - Ian Anderson is hopefully going to be a guest on this very podcast, to chat about his career and RökFlöte in particular. It's an album based on Norse/Viking mythology/religion so it is absolutely perfect for us to review and discuss, given both Matthew and Steven are writing/have written books about the Vikings. Truly a match made in Valhalla!
We hope you enjoy this bonus episode and check out the album when it's released on the 21st of April. It's FANTASTIC as you'll hear in our review. You can pre-order it here:
https://jethrotullband.lnk.to/RokFlote
Huge thanks to Inside Out Records, Ian Anderson, and The Publicity Connection for the review copies of the album!
Stay tuned for our regular episode this Friday, as historical novelist and screenwriter David Gilman is our guest. You don't want to miss it...
Starting our new books! What are they about? - Episode 30
We've both just started work on our new books. Join us to hear about the process. Research, challenges, pressures, deadlines, and, of course, fun! You probably already know that Steven's writing about Alfred the Great and the Vikings, but listen to find out what new historical period Matthew is venturing into...
The King Alfred coin - https://twitter.com/SA_McKay/status/1641745580954189827?s=20
Big Big Train bassist/songwriter Gregory Spawton interview!
We are delighted to have another musician on today’s episode. Gregory Spawton is the founder of progressive rock band, Big Big Train.
Big Big Train have released 14 studio albums and several live performances too.
Big Big Train have been named Prog magazine’s Band of the Year on numerous occasions as well as winning Prog’s Album Of The Year awards several times. Their most recent album, Welcome To The Planet, was released on 28 January 2022.
Gregory is also now a publisher. Formed in 2019, Kingmaker is a book publisher dedicated to the rock music sector. It is run by Gregory and Prog magazine journalist/Big Big Train manager Nick Shilton.
Welcome to Rock, Paper, Swords, Gregory!
IAN ROSS - The Twilight of Empire author joins us today!
IAN ROSS is the author of the “Twilight of Empire” series, six historical novels set in the early 4th century AD, the era of the Roman emperor Constantine.
The first of the series, “War at the Edge of the World”, was published in the UK in 2015, and the sixth, “Triumph in Dust", in 2019. His books have subsequently been published in the USA, Australia, Spain and Italy.
His forthcoming novel, “Battle Song”, the first of a trilogy set in medieval England, will be published by Hodder & Stoughton on March 30th 2023.
Welcome to Rock, Paper, Swords, Ian Ross!
Listener Questions PART 2!
The second of our episodes where we answer questions sent in by listeners. Some great ones again here, really got us thinking and we both enjoyed it! If you have any more for us, please do send them via Facebook, Twitter or our websites.
Next week we'll have a longer episode with another AMAZING guest (the one and only IAN ROSS!), but we'll do more episodes answering your questions if we get enough of them.
Listener questions PART 1!
We recently posted on Twitter and Facebook asking for listener questions. Today we're going to answer some of those questions and they really provoked some interesting responses from Matthew and Steven! We’ll be answering more in a future episode and it might well become a regular thing, so if you have any questions you’d like us to answer, post them in our social media.
We checked after the recording, and the last Aurochs was killed in the 17th century! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurochs
Some news and big announcements!
Another bonus episode! We chat about the brand new FULL theme song and how it came about, and we also have a couple of pretty BIG announcements, so tune in, and don't drop out!
https://www.canelo.co/news/2023-02-22-canelo-set-to-publish-a-great-series-by-steven-a-mckay/
Rock, Paper, Swords FULL THEME SONG!
So many people have told us they really enjoy the short intro/outro music we recorded for the podcast so...We've written a full four minute theme song complete with daft cheesy lyrics, full-on rock vocals, and searing guitar solos (two of the buggers!). It's just a bit of fun, we hope you like it...
Look out for another bonus episode tomorrow with some news about the podcast!
Dio, Maiden, Queen,
And everything in between,
If you like your rock,
Come hear us talk,
And we'll keep it (mostly) clean
We chat about writing scenes,
And native British greens,
Adventure and action,
Get your book traction,
It's the podcast of your dreams
RPS chorus
History comes to life,
With a wicked Saxon knife,
Lord of the Rings,
And other things,
Enjoy it with your wife
From cowboys to ancient celts,
We'll tell you just how it smelt,
With special guests,
We're druid blessed,
We're gonna make faces melt!
Guitar solos
Chorus
TV historian & novelist DAN JONES joins us today! 2023 top episode!
Dan Jones is a bestselling historian, TV presenter and award-winning journalist. His books, which have sold more than a million copies worldwide, include THE PLANTAGENETS, THE TEMPLARS, THE HOLLOW CROWN. His book CRUSADERS was published in autumn 2019. He co-authored the Sunday Times bestseller THE COLOUR OF TIME and THE WORLD AFLAME, published in March 2020, with Marina Amaral.
Dan has also written and presented numerous TV series including 'Secrets of Great British Castles' (Netflix, Channel 5), 'Britain’s Bloodiest Dynasty: The Plantagenets' and 'London: 2000 Years of History'.
Most recently Dan's historical fiction debut, ESSEX DOGS, the first installment in a trilogy set during the Hundred Years War, was published by Head of Zeus on 15 September 2022.
Welcome to Rock, Paper, Swords, Dan Jones!
***This episode was our most streamed during 2023!***
Dr Who, Star Wars, 2000AD, hip-hop author, and games designer Steven Savile!
Slaine from 2000AD. Sherlock Holmes. Dr Who. Primeval. Stargate. Return of the Jedi. Ghost-writing for genuine legends of the rap and hip-hop scene.... Our guest today is probably the most prolific and best-selling author you've never heard of! And he also writes for games, including the major Xbox/Playstation hit, Battlefield 3!
Not only that, he used to write the odd story for classic "top-shelf" magazines like Fiesta and Escort, and no, those were NOT about 80's motor cars, they were FAR sexier than an RS2000 or XR2...
Join us today, as we chat with Steven Savile!
Simon Scarrow! We chat to the legend!
That's right! We interview one of THE best loved historical fiction authors of the past twenty years today - Simon Scarrow! Join us as we chat about his writing, his upcoming musical (yep, you read that right), Romans, and loads more.
First ever image on the internet - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Horribles_Cernettes
Dr Mark Deeks of metal bands Winterfylleth and Ard!
Matthew and Steven chat this week with a musician for a change! Dr Mark Deeks is a choirmaster, as well as the piano player for one of Steven's favourite black metal bands, Winterfylleth, and also has his own "monastic doom metal" project called Ard. Ard put out a concept album which is kind of a historical novel in musical form so we were really happy to get Mark on the podcast and discuss a broad range of topics.
Mark also gives piano lessons online HERE
Youtube video of Winterfylleth performing "The Hallowing of Heirdom", one of their most beautiful songs.
Theme music by Steven and Matthew. The short piece of music at the outro is Steven's attempt at doom metal!