It gives us great pleasure to present Season 11, Episode 13: Vincent Traughber Meis!
Vincent Traughber Meis joins us to share the English and Spanish versions of his novel Iguana. We discuss characters falling in love with other cultures, finding romance, and how to write diversity with empathy by exploring curiosity!
Bio:
Vincent Traughber Meis was born and raised in a large family in Decatur, Illinois. From an early age, he wrote plays—often cajoling his sisters into acting in them—as well as poems and short stories. In high school, he continued to write and won a local contest sponsored by the newspaper.
After graduating from Tulane University, he wrote numerous short stories and a couple of novels, which initially gathered dust on the shelf. It wasn’t until the 1980s that he began to see his byline in print, publishing travel articles, poems, and book reviews in outlets such as The Advocate, LA Weekly, InStyle, and Our World.
His passion for travel led him to live abroad in Spain and Saudi Arabia, where he taught English as a Second Language. These international experiences deeply informed his writing, with many of his articles, stories, and later novels exploring the gay experience across different cultures.
In 1991, Meis began teaching English at City College of San Francisco. There, he also served as the Publications Coordinator for Union Action, where he wrote member profiles, feature articles, and edited numerous pieces. The publication earned several awards from the California Federation of Teachers.
He took early retirement in 2011 to focus on his writing and has since published ten novels. Several of his books have received critical acclaim: Tío Jorge, Down in Cuba, and Deluge each won Rainbow Awards, while The Mayor of Oak Street and First Born Sons earned Reader Views Reviewer’s Choice Awards.
His short stories have appeared in various anthologies and online publications, often reaching finalist status in short story competitions. His work frequently centers characters across the LGBTQ+ spectrum and reflects a rich tapestry of racial and ethnic diversity. Vincent lives with his husband in San Leandro, California, and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 11, Episode 12: Lee Pulaski!
Lee Pulaski returns with his latest novel Murder of a Midnight Marriage. We discuss being in the public light, the masks of personality, and the chaos of weddings!
Bio:
Living in the real world was never a long-term plan for Lee Pulaski. He spent many a day imagining bold adventures and playing them out in the quiet countryside of Chino Valley, Arizona. Lee was first published in high school for writing about the news and telling compelling feature stories about people. And while Lee’s still a working journalist today, his excitement for writing mystery, romance, and fantasy inspired him to write his first novel in 2006 after a particularly breathtaking autumn…
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
Or Listen/Watch Right Here:
August 1, 2025
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 10, Episode 29: Lee Pulaski!
Lee Pulaski shares his latest novel We Ride at Brunch. We discuss found family and whether friends can become lovers. Then we peek into the state of LGBTQ book events.
Bio:
Living in the real world was never a long-term plan for Lee Pulaski. He spent many a day imagining bold adventures and playing them out in the quiet countryside of Chino Valley, Arizona. Lee was first published in high school for writing about the news and telling compelling feature stories about people. And while Lee’s still a working journalist today, his excitement for writing mystery, romance, and fantasy inspired him to write his first novel in 2006 after a particularly breathtaking autumn…
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
Or Listen/Watch Right Here:
December 20, 2024
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 9, Episode 49: Lee Pulaski!
Lee Pulaski returns to share the latest novel in his Chino Valley series: Miss Phoenix Goes Deliciously Mad. We then discuss writing current hot-topics into romance novels, like drag queen story hour and mentoring youth through their coming out. He also shares the release of his anthology: Fables From the Other Side of The Rainbow, wherein you’ll find stories like finding grandpa’s love letters to another man, and a DJ who returns a missing cat only to be happily rewarded.
Bio:
Stories are like potato chips. Lee Pulaski cannot write just one.
Lee’s journey of writing books started in 2006, but his love of writing and reading was born much earlier. He learned to read at age 3½, a fact his proud mother will tell anyone anytime and anywhere. That love of reading soon turned into a desire to write, ranging from short stories for school to three-act plays that include one that was produced when Lee was in high school.
Lee’s motivation to write was born by not seeing characters that were like him in the books he absorbed. Since he couldn’t find stories about two men finding their happily ever after, he chose to provide that himself. At the time, Lee was sadly single, so the books helped to provide form to his dreams of finding a suitable gentleman. Even after finding his sweetheart, Todd, the love stories haven’t stopped.
Even with his relocation to Wisconsin in 2011, part of him remembers his hometown fondly, prompting him to “go home again” and write love stories based in Chino Valley, Arizona. In those stories, Lee seeks to push boundaries with those books, tackling topics like gay fatherhood and coping with family members in the fierce grip of alcoholism, as well as writing about runaway drag queens and furries.
When he finds himself in a rare moment of not writing, he likes to travel around Wisconsin with Todd, checking out street art and out-of-the-way restaurants, among other things, as well as spending some quality time with the latest litter of Australian Shepherd puppies his mother raises.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
Or Listen/Watch Right Here:
February 2, 2024
It gives us great pleasure to present a Season 9, Episode 5 Interview – Lee Pulaski
Lee Pulaski returns to share his recent books, Heartsong of the Lonesome Road, and The Tragic Tale of Tabby and Henny. After diving into those, we discuss his upcoming works, which include a mystery, a fantasy, an anthology and a drag queen.
Living in the real world was never a long-term plan for Lee Pulaski. He spent many a day imagining bold adventures and playing them out in the quiet countryside of Chino Valley, Arizona. Lee was first published in high school for writing about the news and telling compelling feature stories about people. And while Lee’s still a working journalist today, his excitement for writing mystery, romance, and fantasy inspired him to write his first novel in 2006 after a particularly breathtaking autumn…
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 8, Episode 23: Lee Pulaski + our “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” review!
Lee Pulaski returns with his audiobook White Christmas in the Desert, which he proudly gets to label “narrated by the author!” Then Baz and Vance rate and review The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and close by sharing who won their weeks!
Bio:
Living in the real world was never a long-term plan for Lee Pulaski. He spent many a day imagining bold adventures and playing them out in the quiet countryside of Chino Valley, Arizona. Lee was first published in high school for writing about the news and telling compelling feature stories about people. And while Lee’s still a working journalist today, his excitement for writing mystery, romance, and fantasy inspired him to write his first novel in 2006 after a particularly breathtaking autumn…
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 7, Episode 34: Lee Pulaski + Our Review of Uncoupled!
Lee Pulaski returns to share his latest novel, The Night of the Hodag. We discuss writing supernatural investigations, the importance of writing non-traditional relationships (three men in this case), incorporating local lore into writing, and the importance of local writing groups. Then Baz and Vance review Uncoupled and share who won the week for them!
Bio:
Living in the real world was never a long-term plan for Lee Pulaski. He spent many a day imagining bold adventures and playing them out in the quiet countryside of Chino Valley, Arizona. Lee was first published in high school for writing about the news and telling compelling feature stories about people. And while Lee’s still a working journalist today, his excitement for writing mystery, romance, and fantasy inspired him to write his first novel in 2006 after a particularly breathtaking autumn…
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
It gives us great pleasure to welcome Lee Pulaski as the guest on Season 6, Episode 43 – All Of A Sudden An Idea Was Forming!
Lee Pulaski joins us to share his recent release, White Christmas in the Desert, how the fall colors inspired his first novel, writing stories about non-standard families, tender romances, mysteries, and so much more!
Living in the real world was never a long-term plan for Lee. He spent many a day imagining bold adventures and playing them out in the quiet countryside of Chino Valley, Arizona. Still, he never could have imagined at the time that the dreams and worlds created in his mind would someday be in print form.
Lee first published in high school, where he wrote about the news and told compelling feature stories about people. His talent for photography helped to bring those stories to life. Lee’s still a working journalist today.
Despite seeing his byline several times a week, Lee still yearned to see his name on the cover of a book. He was inspired to write his first novel in 2006 after spending a vacation camping with family during a particularly breathtaking autumn, where the reds, oranges and yellows were on full display. The experience helped bring about a romantic story called The Colors of Love and Autumn, which he published through Torquere Press in 2008 as an e-book. Now twenty books in, Lee is still writing—and still in the pursuit of new worlds and new dreams.
He joined the Shawano Area Writers in 2011, giving him a chance to test out his WIPs, and providing an opportunity to work with other writers striving to see their work in print.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 11, Episode 11: Lauren Sanders!
Lauren Sanders shares the 25th Anniversary of their novel Kamikaze Lust. We discuss sex and sexuality in literature, how audience views on sex scenes have changed, and how to tell stories about porn without pornography.
Bio:
Lauren Sanders (she/they) is the author of the novel & audiobook, Kamikaze Lust, which won a 2000 Lambda Literary Award and has been reissued in a 25th anniversary edition from Akashic Books, with a new foreword by Carly Moore. Lauren’s other novels include, With or Without You (a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award) and The Book of Love and Hate, which The Advocate called “a thrilling tale of espionage, family ties, sex, love, and betrayal.”
She is co-editor of a really fun cultural-pastiche anthology called Too Darn Hot: Writing About Sex Since Kinsey, and her short fiction, reviews, and journalism have appeared in various publications over the past decades, including Bookforum, the American Book Review, Poets & Writers, the long lost New York Press—anyone else remember when New York City was crawling with alternative weeklies?
By day Sanders runs editorial and digital content at a national foundation dedicated to education and the arts. She has served on nonprofit boards, most recently at New York Writers Coalition, whose mission was to cultivate community through free and low-cost writing workshops throughout New York City and beyond. She is a graduate of Barnard and Columbia’s J-school and along the way also snagged an MA in Creative Writing from City College.
Sanders was born in Queens and has lived most of her life between Brooklyn and downtown NYC, with a stopover during her formative years in Long Island (see, With or Without You, but remember it’s fiction, ok?). These days she resides in the nation of Brooklyn and cavorts on the north shore of Long Island where on clear day you might find her paddle boarding the Sound or hanging with her partner and Staffie mix, Maverick.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 11, Episode 10: Mike Player!
Mike Player shares his western comedy, Utopia. We discuss humor in literature, white-washed wild-west history, misfit heroes, and the art of writing stories that resonate with people of all types.
Bio:
Mike Player is a comedy writer, actor, and author. He is the creator/executive producer of MTV’s LOGO Network series, “The Outlaugh Festival on Wisecrack.” He is the founder of three comedy groups; “Shock of the Funny” in New York, and “The Gay Mafia” and “Angry Daddies” in Los Angeles. He is the editor and a contributor to “Out on the Edge: America’s Rebel Comics” published by Alyson Books. He is the author of several published science fiction/horror short stories, as well as the comedy/suspense novels, “Viral – The Story of the Milkshake Girl,” and “Hyperloop To Hell.” His most recent novel is a queer comedy western, “Utopia.”
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 11, Episode 9: Geoffrey Newman!
Geoffrey Newman shares his memoir, Better to Cry Now. We discuss living a blessed life in defiance of those who say you won’t make it, and how Geoffrey found the flow of his life that helped him be a proud, gay, black man so he could then help his students overcome any obstacle with creativity, tenacity, and love.
Bio:
Geoffrey Newman, PhD, is dean emeritus of the College of the Arts at Montclair State University in New Jersey. He was the first holder of the Owen Duston Distinguished Professorship from Wabash College in 1987 and received the prestigious Amoco Award for Theatrical Excellence from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in 1979. He helped establish the Department of Theater at Wabash College in 1970 and served on the faculty of the drama department from 1975 to 1986, during which time he was appointed chairman of drama (1982–1986). He then served as the founding dean of the College of Arts at Montclair State University from 1988 to 2011. He now resides in Palm Springs, California, with Ed, his husband and soulmate of forty-seven years.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 11, Episode 8: Rob Osler!
Rob Osler returns to share his latest mystery, The Case of the Murdered Muckracker. We discuss the evolution of the Harriet Morrow Investigates series, writing a lesbian detective during the Progressive Era, growing a found family across a series, and mirroring political corruption and immigration rights between then and now.
Bio:
Rob Osler writes traditional mysteries featuring LGBTQ+ main characters. Believing that relatability is as important as representation, he strives to showcase our shared humanity across individual identities. Both books in Rob’s historical The Harriet Morrow Investigates series are USA Today Bestsellers, the first of which, The Case of the Missing Maid, earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly, and is an Amazon Editors Pick for Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense. His other works have been finalists for the Edgar, Anthony, Agatha, Lefty, and Macavity Awards, a CrimeReads Best of the Year, and a winner of the Mystery Writers of America Robert L. Fish Award. After living in Boise, Chicago, and Seattle, Rob resides in California with his husband and a tall gray cat.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
Or Listen/Watch Right Here:
January 31, 2025
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 10, Episode 5: Rob Osler!
Rob Osler returns to share the first book in his Harriet Morrow Investigates series: The Case of the Missing Maid. We discuss the parallels between the Progressive Era (1890-1920) and current events, writing an exemplary and queer woman in a historic setting, and the unfolding of the series.
Bio:
Rob Osler writes traditional mysteries featuring LGBTQ+ main characters. Believing that relatability is as important as representation, he strives to showcase our shared humanity across individual identities. Rob’s just-released historical novel THE CASE OF THE MISSING MAID is a USA Today Bestseller, earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly, and is an Amazon Editors Pick for Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense. His other work has been a finalist for the Edgar, Anthony, Agatha, Lefty, and Macavity Awards, a CrimeReads Best of the Year, and a winner of the Mystery Writers of America Robert L. Fish Award. After living in Boise, Chicago, and Seattle, Rob resides in California with his husband and a tall gray cat.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
Or Listen/Watch Right Here:
March 8, 2024
It gives us great pleasure to present a Season 9, Episode 10 Interview – Rob Osler
Rob Osler returns to share his latest Hayden & Friends Mystery, Cirque du Slay! We discuss the importance of characters living their authentic lives and the growth of the “quozy” genre!
Rob is a member of Mystery Writers of America, the Authors’ Guild, Sisters in Crime, and Queer Crime Writers. He is a graduate in philosophy from the University of Puget Sound and earned a master’s degree in business from the University of Washington’s Foster School.
After many years living in Chicago and Seattle, he resides in California with his long-time partner and a tall, gray cat.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
Or Listen Right Here:
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May 12, 2023
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 8, Episode 20: Rob Osler + Our Review of And Then We Danced!
Rob Osler brings his energy to the show to discuss his “quozy” mystery, Devil’s Chew Toy. He shares his 2-minute pitch poem and we discuss what it means to be queer in the cozy genre. Then Baz and Vance discuss the foreign film And Then We Danced, followed by who won their weeks!
Bio:
Rob writes traditional mysteries featuring LGBTQ+ main characters. His novel Devil’s Chew Toy was a 2023 Left Coast Crime Finalist for Best Debut Mystery and an Agatha Awards Finalist for Best First Novel and named a 2022 Year’s Best by Crime Reads, BOLO Books, PopSugar, and Book Riot. The sequel to Devil’s Chew Toy, titled Cirque du Slay, comes out March 9, 2024. His first publication, Analogue, (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine), won the 2022 Mystery Writers of America Robert L Fish Award for best short story by a debut author as part of the Edgar Awards. Forthcoming works include Miss Direction in Ellery Queen’s September/October edition, and Red Shoes in the Brutal and Strange, an anthology based on Elvis Costello songs from Down & Out Books, Jan 2024. Also on the horizon is The Case of the Missing Maid, book one in a new historical series featuring a queer female detective in Chicago in the Progressive Era from Kensington Books.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 11, Episode 7: Rodney Rhoda Taylor!
Rodney Rhoda Taylor joins to share their memoir, A Life in Letters: A story of resilience, sequins, and hope. We discuss the art of writing letters, infusing hope and humor into our works, and how stories show our shared humanity.
Bio:
Inspired by Carrie Bradshaw, Rodney Rhoda Taylor returned to school to purse writing and eventually graduated with a degree in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. Unsure of what to do after graduating, after all who does know what to do with their degree, they meandered about their writing career aimlessly for the first year until a friend suggested they join a writing group that focused primarily on plays. Their writing career soon took off. They soon found themselves writing, producing, directing and acting in plays. They are the author of the short plays Eros, Poolside, Good-Bye Cupid, My Fairy Godmother, Baby Christina, Motherly Advice, and P.S. I Love You. Their play writing eventually led them to co-found Left Coast Theatre Co., an LGBTQ theater in San Francisco with Joe Frank. After taking a break from writing for a few years to focus on themselves, they resumed their writing career with the publication of their first book, a memoir, A Life in Letters, A story of resilience, sequence and hope. They presently reside in the South, with their little chihuahua, Isabele, hoping one day Cupid will still pay them a visit. (Hopefully after a visit to the optometrist.)
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 11, Episode 6: Christian Baines!
Christian Baines returns to share his latest novel, Andalusia Dogs. We discuss The Season of the Witch for the Haunted Hearts book series, as well as his novel’s “bless this chaos” vibe set in the artistic Movida era of Spanish culture after the death of Franco.
Bio:
Christian Baines is an awkward nerd turned slightly less awkward author. Raised on dark humour and powered by New Zealand wine, he is the author of nine novels including gay paranormal series The Arcadia Trust and My Cat’s Guide to Online Dating. Born in Australia, he now travels the world whenever possible, living and writing in Toronto, Canada between trips.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
Or Listen/Watch Right Here:
November 22, 2024
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 9, Episode 45: Christian Baines!
Christian baines returns to share his latest releases: Geist Fleisch and Arcadia Trust 4 – Tears in Time. We discuss the rise of horror in Hollywood thanks to queer directors, ghosts in 1930s Berlin, and coming home to find your dimension has cracked a bit!
Bio:
Christian Baines is an awkward nerd turned slightly less awkward author. Raised on dark humour and powered by New Zealand wine, he is the author of six novels including gay paranormal series The Arcadia Trust and My Cat’s Guide to Online Dating. Born in Australia, he now travels the world whenever possible, living and writing in Toronto, Canada between trips.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
Or Listen/Watch Right Here:
May 26, 2023
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 8, Episode 22: Christian Baines + Our Review of Desert Fury!
Christian Baines delights us with his latest novel, My Cat’s Guide to Online Dating. It’s dark, it’s sexy, and it plays in the shadows of mythology. Then Baz and Vance rate and review a Hollywood classic, Desert Fury, and close by sharing who won their weeks!
Bio:
Christian Baines is an awkward nerd turned slightly less awkward author. Raised on dark humour and powered by New Zealand wine, he is the author of six novels including gay paranormal series The Arcadia Trust and My Cat’s Guide to Online Dating. Born in Australia, he now travels the world whenever possible, living and writing in Toronto, Canada between trips.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
Or Listen Right Here:
OR Watch on YouTube:
[Re-Edited and Re-Uploaded to YouTube due to copyright claim issue]
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fJG0C68Xo4[/embedyt]
August 2, 2019
It gives us great pleasure to welcome Christian Baines back as the guest on Episode 227 – Pollyannas Are Horrible!
Christian Baines returns for a great conversation about Urban Fantasy and his latest release, Sins of the Son, the third book of the Arcadia Trust series.
Christian Baines is an awkward nerd turned slightly less awkward author of weird and dark fiction. His work includes the gay paranormal series The Arcadia Trust, e-novella Skin, and Puppet Boy, a finalist for the 2016 Saints and Sinners Emerging Writer Award. Born in Australia, he now travels the world whenever possible, living, writing, and shivering in Toronto, Canada on those odd occasions he can’t find his passport.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
Or right here:
December 1, 2017
It gives us great pleasure to welcome Christian Baines as the guest on Episode 140: A Kiss Kill Love Fight Relationship!
This week Christian Baines joins us to talk about his latest novel, Skin, writing the paranormal and the world-building behind it, dark heroes and LGBTQ antiheroes!
Christian Baines is an awkward nerd turned slightly less awkward author of weird and dark fiction. His work includes the gay paranormal series The Arcadia Trust, e-novella Skin, and Puppet Boy, a finalist for the 2016 Saints and Sinners Emerging Writer Award. Born in Australia, he now travels the world whenever possible, living, writing, and shivering in Toronto, Canada on those odd occasions he can’t find his passport.
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 11, Episode 5: Patricia Grayhall!
Patricia Grayhall returns as a triple threat with her latest novel Framed. We discuss corporate greed, conspiracies, environmental awareness, immigration issues, unrequited love, and why the best novels have threads of multiple genres.
Bio:
Patricia Grayhall is a retired physician turned acclaimed author whose memoir Making the Rounds: Defying Norms in Love and Medicine earned a starred Kirkus Review and recognition as one of Kirkus Reviews’ Best 100 Indie Books of 2022. The memoir has won multiple prestigious awards, including the 2024 National Indie Excellence Award for LGBTQIA Non-fiction and Memoir and the 2023 Best Indie Book Award for LGBTQ Memoir.
Following the success of her memoir, Patricia co-authored the romance novel Golden Years and Silver Linings with her partner in 2023.
Her literary range expanded with A Place for Us: A Novel, published by She Writes Press in June 2025.
Patricia’s newest medical/legal thriller Framed, blends her medical expertise with compelling storytelling, marking her evolution from memoirist to versatile fiction author. Patricia lives with the love of her life on an island in the Pacific Northwest, where she enjoys other people’s dogs and occasional sightings of orca, eagles, otters, and black bears.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
Or Listen/Watch Right Here:
June 13, 2025
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 10, Episode 22: Patricia Grayhall!
Patricia Grayhall returns to share her new romance: A Place for Us. We dive into connecting with lost loves, building a life together in the face of obstacles, and endings that bring happiness and hope!
Bio:
Patricia Grayhall is a medical doctor and author of the award-winning memoir, Making the Rounds; Defying Norms in Love and Medicine and a romance novel, Golden Years and Silver Linings, with wife and author Linda M. Ford. She has authored articles in Queer Forty, The Gay and Lesbian Review, The Millions, Lesbian Game Changers, The Seattle Lesbian, and Seattle Magazine, and has been interviewed on NPR.
Currently, Patricia is working on her third novel, an environmental crime novel. All of her novels are inspired by real-life experiences, one of the advantages of being an older author. Patricia lives with the love of her life on an island in the Pacific Northwest where she enjoys other people’s dogs and occasional sightings of orca, eagles, otters, and black bears.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
Or Listen/Watch Right Here:
January 20, 2023
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 8, Episode 3: Patricia Grayhall + Sense8 review part 3!
Patricia Grayhall, author of the memoir Making the Rounds: Defying Norms in Love and Medicine, joins us to discuss her training to become a doctor before Roe v Wade, and her lifelong lessons about sustaining relationships. Then Albert Nothlit returns for part 3 of our review of Sense8’s first season!
Patricia Grayhall is a retired medical doctor and author of Making the Rounds; Defying Norms in Love and Medicine that garnered a starred review in Kirkus Reviews, as well as positive reviews from Katherine Forrest and Radclyffe. She’s published articles in Queer Forty, The Gay and Lesbian Review, The Millions, Lesbian Game Changers, The Seattle Lesbian, and Seattle Magazine. In addition to a recent NPR interview, her book is among Kirkus Reviews’ Best Indie Books of 2022.
Patricia lives with the love of her life on an island in the Pacific Northwest where she enjoys other people’s dogs, big nature, and her second career as an author.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 11, Episode 4: Sophie Haeder!
Sophie Haeder returns with her latest novel The Lurking Demon. We discuss the evolution of Dohva, and the main characters – Sineth, Kima, and Avala. We also discuss world building and finding inspiration in Dungeons and Dragons.
Bio:
Born in 1992, Sophie Haeder lives in the picturesque countryside of Bavaria, Germany, where she embraces her nerdy nature alongside her roles as a wife and a mother of a little girl.
With a lifelong passion for fantasy, encompassing everything from fairies to witches to trolls, she has found solace in imaginative play since childhood. Playing Dungeons & Dragons with her favourite group of nerds brings her immense joy.
This love of storytelling eventually led her to writing, a natural progression from her professional career as a marketing manager.
She loves fantasy and art, and her writing combines all of her interests into one. That’s why she did all the artwork for her books herself, including the cover, the map, and every other illustration.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
Or Listen/Watch Right Here:
May 23, 2025
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 10, Episode 18: Sophie Haeder!
Sophie Haeder shares her novel: The Land Within. We discuss being inspired by Dungeons and Dragons, the romantasy genre, and the prominence of LGBTQ+ characters in this literary style!
Bio:
Born in 1992, Sophie Haeder lives in the picturesque countryside of Bavaria, Germany, where she embraces her nerdy nature alongside her roles as a wife and a mother of a little girl. With a lifelong passion for fantasy, encompassing everything from fairies to witches to trolls, she has found solace in imaginative play since childhood. Serving as a gamemaster for her Dungeons & Dragons group brings her immense joy. This love of storytelling eventually led her to writing, a natural progression from her professional career as a content marketing manager. She loves fantasy and art, and her writing combines all of her interests into one. That’s why she does all the artwork for her books herself, including the cover, the map, and every other illustration in her book. If you play D&D yourself, you may recognize some of the mechanics of magic and world-building that follow this kind of vibe. But of course it is not necessary to know anything about D&D to enjoy her book.
This Podcast episode is available on these channels (in order alphabetical):
It gives us great pleasure to present Season 11, Episode 13: Vincent Traughber Meis!
