Shows
The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and NeuroscienceHow Acclaimed Debut Novelist Jeanette Horn WritesAcclaimed debut novelist and award-winning poet Jeanette Horn spoke to me about writing experimental poetry, getting a fateful call from the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, and the magical realism in her debut novel PLAY, WITH KNIVES.Jeanette Horn is an Iowa Writers' Workshop MFA program graduate and was a Maytag Fellow.Her debut novel, Play, With Knives, is described as the story of “A struggling theater troupe [that] tours the Midwest by surreal train—where aspects of their plays come to life and wreak havoc—in this inventive literary novel.”Elizabeth Gilbert, #1 New York Times...2025-03-2834 min
A Conspiracy of LemursThe Seeds of Fact in the Garden of Fiction: Growing Southern NovelsJaynie Royal and Pam Van Dyk chat with Mimi Herman, author of The Kudzu Queen, and Dale Neal, author of Kings of Coweetsee, about Southern fiction, the "seeds" of literary work, and the research and inspiration required to make them "grow." Join us for a fabulous conversation! Thanks for listening! Browse our catalog and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok!2023-10-0958 min
A Conspiracy of LemursThe past is never past (Faulkner) - Southern Fiction and Sour Mash Writers at RegalJoin us for a deep dive into Southern fiction and Regal House's Sour Mash series with Marjorie Hudson, author of Indigo Field, and Culley Holderfield, author of Hemlock Hollow. Thanks for listening! Browse our catalog and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!2023-03-1056 min
A Conspiracy of LemursWriter as Recording Artist: Power and Empathy in FictionWe welcome Roxanne Doty, author of Out Stealing Water, and Amy L. Bernstein, author of The Protero Complex, to our podcast to discuss Writers as Recording Artists: Power and Empathy in Fiction. Novelists writing of their contemporary world are historical commentators of their time. They offer sweeping and sometimes dystopian views of government and the people who run it, tapping into real fears and fundamental truths about the world, its people, its leaders and their policies. Civil unrest, wars, plagues, famines all find their way into literature. Roxanne and Amy have created fictional worlds that touch upon economic power...2022-10-1743 min
A Conspiracy of LemursCrossing Boundaries in YA and MG FictionOne of the most common themes in literature for young people is boundaries crossed—in friendship and family. Young people are changing rapidly, and they often find it very hard to know their own boundaries, or when they've crossed the boundaries of others, until conflicts arise. With our guests Ona Gritz, author of the middle grade novel, August or Forever, and Carol Dines, the author of the young adult novel, The Take-Over Friend, we explore what boundaries are, why they are important, why boundaries change in relationships, and why communication in family and friendship is both challenging and important. T...2022-09-2651 min
A Conspiracy of LemursRural Settings: The Rich Opportunity for World Building with Non-Binary CharactersGary Eldon Peter, author of The Complicated Calculus (and Cows) of Carl Paulsen, and Valerie Nieman, author of In the Lonely Backwater, join us to discuss the rich opportunity for YA fiction world building with non-binary characters in rural settings.Thanks for listening! Browse our catalog and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!2022-08-1752 min
A Conspiracy of LemursMiddle Grade Fiction: Empowering Young ReadersGinger Park, author of The Hundred Choices Department Store, Frank Morelli, author of Breaking News, and Diana Renn, author of Trouble at Turtle Pond join us for a lively discussion about trends, gatekeepers, and the authenticity of voice in middle grade literature. Thanks for listening! Browse our catalog and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!2022-04-131h 01
A Conspiracy of LemursWriting About MortalityWe are delighted to welcome Michele Herman, author of Save the Village, Laraine Herring, author of A Constellation of Ghosts: A Speculative Memoir with Ravens, and David R. Roth, author of The Femme Fatale Hypothesis to discuss mortality in literature.Thanks for listening! Browse our catalog and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!2022-03-1056 min
A Conspiracy of LemursEducation in LiteratureM.B. McLatchey‘s memoir Beginner’s Mind and Kevin McIntosh‘s novel Class Dismissed address similar educational themes and explore some of the same tensions in and out of the classroom. M.B. McLatchey and Kevin McIntosh will be joining Jaynie Royal and Pam Van Dyk to explore the philosophical threads of these education-themed literary works. 2021-06-2853 min
A Conspiracy of LemursEducation in LiteratureM.B. McLatchey‘s memoir Beginner’s Mind and Kevin McIntosh‘s novel Class Dismissed address similar educational themes and explore some of the same tensions in and out of the classroom. M.B. McLatchey and Kevin McIntosh will be joining Jaynie Royal and Pam Van Dyk to explore the philosophical threads of these education-themed literary works. Thanks for listening! Browse our catalog and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!2021-06-2853 min
A Conspiracy of LemursNavigating the Indie Publishing Scene with Jon Sealy, founder of Haywire Books & author Heather Bell Adams Jon Sealy, founder of Haywire Books and author of The Edge of America, The Whiskey Baron, So You Want to Be a Novelist, and The Merciful and Heather Bell Adams, author of Maranatha Road and The Good Luck Stone (published by Haywire Books), will be joining us to discuss the indie publishing scene, the editor-author relationship, as well as their recent releases.Thanks for listening! Browse our catalog and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!2021-05-201h 01
Jaynie Morris | #TransformingNowTogetherTalkTheWalk Podcast Julie-Ann Finney With Jaynie MorrisJulie-Ann Finney's mission to ensure a Royal Commission into Defence & Veteran Suicide is not only done, she wants to ensure that the culture changes required in order to ensure the safety of current and future serving personnel is assured. She is an inspirational woman and in this episode of TalkTheWalk, Julie-Ann shares the personal story of losing her son David, a 20 year Veteran, to suicide and an insight on the challenges that have unfolded since. She explains why a Royal Commission is vital and what needs to be included to ensure transparency, accountability and genuine pathway outcomes.
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A Conspiracy of LemursAll Hail the Mighty Underpup: Writing the Underdog Hero in Children’s Literature In anticipation of the release of our 2019 Kraken Book Prize-winning title, Thomas Creeper and the Gloomsbury Secret, J.R. Potter will be joining us on A Conspiracy of Lemurs to chat about would-be heroes in crisis, heroes who have nothing to lose and everything to gain. We’ll explore the role of the underdog hero in middle grade fiction and the lessons we can learn from them at any stage in our lives. Thanks for listening! Browse our catalog and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!2021-03-181h 01
A Conspiracy of LemursThe Impact of the Pandemic on Writers, Artists, and the Creative Community: Joey Garcia and Joni Renee Whitworth, contributors to the upcoming upcoming release (Her)oics: Women’s Lived Experiences During the Coronavirus Pandemic, will be joining us to discuss the impact of the pandemic on their experience and work as writers and artists, individually and in community. Thanks for listening! Browse our catalog and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!2021-03-0949 min
A Conspiracy of LemursSurviving Racism in a Global Pandemic: Being Black or Brown in America during the CoronavirusAlicia Mosley and Ella deCastro Baron, contributors to the upcoming release (Her)oics: Women’s Lived Experiences During the Coronavirus Pandemic, and Joanell Serra, coeditor of (Her)oics, (Pact Press, March 2021) will discuss their contributed stories: “Mosley’s Mothering while Black during the Pandemic” and deCastro Baron’s “Bahala Na.” In conversation with Pam and Jaynie, they will consider the impact culture and race had on their communities’ experience of the pandemic. Ella deCastro Baron is a second generation Filipinx American professor and author living in San Diego, California. Alicia Mosley is a poet and fiction writer, a mother of four, and a com...2021-02-2343 min
A Conspiracy of LemursPolitical Literature: The Personal and the Political, an Intertwining NarrativeJulie Wittes Shlack, author of This-All-at-Onceness, joins Jaynie Royal and Pam Van Dyk to discuss and ins and outs of political literature – how it may be differentiated from propaganda, it’s role in society, and its ability to endure and resonate beyond that political time. Thanks for listening! Browse our catalog and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!2020-10-2951 min
A Conspiracy of LemursThe Road to Redemption: Landscape, Culture, and Catastrophe As Catalysts For Character DevelopmentJaynie Royal and Pam Van Dyk spend an hour with two of our Southern Mash Literature Series authors: Rebecca Baum, author of Lifelike Creatures, and Karol Hoeffner, author of Knee Deep. Together we discuss the use of landscape, culture, and catastrophe as catalysts for character development; and how narrative point of view shapes the reader’s experience of that journey. Thanks for listening! Browse our catalog and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!2020-09-251h 03
A Conspiracy of LemursTraveling in Place – Stories in Which Place takes a Significant RoleJaynie Royal and Pam Van Dyk spend an hour with Jan Alexander, author of Ms. Ming’s Guide to Civilization, and Karen Quevillon, author of The Parasol Flower, discussing the role of place in fiction. Thanks for listening! Browse our catalog and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!2020-09-1545 min
A Conspiracy of LemursIn a Moment of Madness – Exploring Mental Illness in Gothic LiteratureMelanie Cossey, author of A Peculiar Curiosity, and Lillah Lawson, author of Monarchs Under the Sassafras Tree, join us on A Conspiracy of Lemurs to discuss the role of madness in Victorian and Southern Gothic literature. Thanks for listening! Browse our catalog and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!2020-08-1153 min
A Conspiracy of LemursTruth in Historical FictionKaren Quevillon, author of The Parasol Flower, and Mitchell James Kaplan, author of Into the Unbounded Night, join Jaynie Royal and Pam Van Dyk to discuss the writing of history vs. the writing of “tales.” As a novelist, are you working with “official” history, working against the grain of it, or doing something else entirely…? Thanks for listening! Browse our catalog and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!2020-07-1555 min
A Conspiracy of LemursGirlz 'n the Hood with Dr. Mary Hill-WagnerJaynie Royal and Pam Van Dyk are delighted to welcome Dr. Mary Hill-Wagner to join us on A Conspiracy of Lemurs to discuss the inspiration behind her upcoming publication, Girlz n’ the Hood: A Memoir of Mama and the challenges she faced in bringing this project to fruition. A delightful episode, not to be missed!Thanks for listening! Browse our catalog and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!2020-06-2752 min
A Conspiracy of LemursWalking the Tightrope: The Challenges of MemoirOn this episode of A Conspiracy of Lemurs, Jaynie Royal and Pam Van Dyk are joined by Jane Bernstein, author of The Face Tells the Secret, and Julie Wittes Schlack, author of This All-at-Onceness. We discuss the inspiration behind their respective literary works, the definition and intent of the memoir narrative, the challenges entailed in such a task, and the role of truth in the formulation of content. Thanks for listening! Browse our catalog and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!2020-06-2158 min
A Conspiracy of LemursHolding a River & Irreverent Prayers: Martha Kalin & Zack Rogow in ConversationJaynie Royal and Pam Van Dyk welcome Regal House poets, Martha Kalin, the winning recipient of the 2019 Terry J. Cox Poetry Award for her collection How to Hold a Flying River, and Zack Rogow, author of The Irreverent Litanies and the judge of the 2019 Terry J. Cox Poetry Award, to A Conspiracy of Lemurs. Join us for a delightful conversation about the inspiration behind their collections, the role of poetic activism, and the influence of social media on the poetic art form. Thanks for listening! Browse our catalog and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!2020-06-1341 min
A Conspiracy of LemursHistorical Fiction Series: Unhealed Wounds—The Legacy of the Civil War, Reconstruction, and BeyondIn our first podcast episode of a four-part series devoted to historical fiction, Jaynie Royal and Pam Van Dyk are delighted to welcome Marlin Barton, author of Children of Dust, and Vicki Lane, author of And the Crows Took Their Eyes, as guests on A Conspiracy of Lemurs. We discuss truth and ambiguity, research and imagination as pertains to the craft of historical fiction and to each of Vicki and Bart's upcoming novels. Both authors read excerpts from their novels - marvelous readings not to be missed!Thanks for listening! Browse our catalog and follow us on...2020-06-0538 min
A Conspiracy of LemursSteven Mayfield: Treasure of the Blue Whale and Writing "Small Town" AmericaJaynie Royal and Pam Van Dyk chat with Steven Mayfield, author of Treasure of the Blue Whale, and discuss writing “small town” America, Depression-era fiction, economic anxiety, and the role of “feel-good” novels. Thanks for listening! Browse our catalog and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!2020-05-2239 min
A Conspiracy of LemursTackling Challenging Topics in Novels-in-Verse: Mary Sullivan, author of HighJaynie Royal and Pam Van Dyk chat with Mary Sullivan, author of the novel-in-verse, High.Mary Sullivan is the author of Dear Blue Sky, a middle grade novel for which she won the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle Award. Her other novels include Stay and Ship Sooner, and she has ghostwritten for the Beacon Street Girls series. She is the also the recipient of a Massachusetts Cultural Council Grant for Literature, a Rona Jaffe Foundation Award, and a St. Botolph’s Award. She was chosen as one of the Border’s Original New Voices. She is a free...2020-05-1248 min
A Conspiracy of LemursWriting Under LockdownIn this episode of A Conspiracy of Lemurs, a Regal House Publishing podcast, co-hosts Jaynie Royal and Pam Van Dyk discuss writing under lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic. They are joined by four Regal House authors, Kate Murdoch, author of The Orange Grove, who lives in Australia; Cheryl Ossola, author of The Wild Impossibility, who resides in Italy; Maureen Pilkington, author of This Side of Water, who lives in New York; and Barbara Quick, author of the upcoming book, What Disappears, who lives in California. Thanks for listening! Browse our catalog and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, an...2020-05-1232 min
A Conspiracy of Lemurs(Her)oics: The Women Behind the AnthologyJaynie Royal and Pam Van Dyk chat with Amy Roost and Joanell Serra regarding their current submission call for the anthology (Her)oics: Women's Lived Experiences During the Coronavirus Pandemic. We are currently accepting submissions for this anthology. Please refer to our submissions portal for more information regarding this anthology. Submissions can be made via the Submittable portal with a $5.00 submission fee, which will be used to offset a small part of the expenses. If this fee presents a significant barrier to your submitting, please email us at: heroicanthologyeditors@gmail.com. All submissions are d...2020-05-0829 min