Joshua Blum - Podcast Details

Shows

Music Production Podcast How to Keep Creating When Life Gets Busy with Joshua BlumJoshua Blum is the host of The Thirteenth Hour Podcast, a show about the creative process as it relates to writing, music, and imagination. He's also the author of The Thirteenth Hour, a fantasy adventure novel, and the creator of Once Upon a Dream—an 80's-inspired synth soundtrack to accompany the book. Josh builds a rich creative world around his stories, blending music, writing, and visual art to tell bigger, immersive narratives. In this conversation, we talk about the routines, strategies, and mindset shifts that help Josh stay creative while managing the demands of everyday life. He sh...

2025-12-081h 46 $Let\'s Talk Media with Vedant Akhauri$

Let's Talk Media with Vedant Akhauri The Thirteenth Hour Book Series (ft. Author, Joshua Blum)On this episode of Let's Talk Media, host Vedant Akhauri welcomes author Joshua Blum to discuss his fantasy book series, The Thirteen Hour. Blum, who grew up during the 1980s, shares how his writing is deeply inspired by his upbringing and classic '80s pop culture, including films like Back to the Future, Labyrinth, and The Last Starfighter.The story, influenced by '80s fairy tales and one-shot movies, centers on a young man named Logan from a sleepy village who is recruited into his kingdom's military and eventually sent on a solitary quest around the world.

2025-11-1530 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #504 and Like A Hood Ornament #74: Reading "The Rocketeer" Movie Novelization Chapter 17This week, I'm reading the seventeenth chapter of the Peter David penned movie novelization of the 1991 Rocketeer film. This chapter takes place in Neville Sinclair's home, where he's kidnapped her, though she ends up figuring out how to get the upper hand, at least temporarily. I don't remember if I usually fast forwarded through this part as a kid, but I think I usually wanted to since I always through Neville was such a creep (and this scene certainly hits different in 2025), but I have to admire Jenny's resourcefulness. There was very limited merchandise put out for the Rocketeer, but...

2025-04-0736 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #503 and Like A Hood Ornament #73: Reading "The Rocketeer" Movie Novelization Chapter 16This week, I'm reading the sixteenth chapter of the Peter David penned movie novelization of the 1991 Rocketeer film. This chapter takes place in The South Seas Club, like last chapter, and is great fun. Cliff wreaks absolute chaos on mob boss Eddie Valentine's club (crime doesn't pay, kids!). The full clip is here. The novelization adds a few interesting tidbits that I suspect were artistic license, like the first person that Cliff runs into when he is on the waiter's cart being Margaret Dumont (who was in many Marx Brothers films as the straight woman to their gags). Here she is...

2025-03-3130 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #502 and Like A Hood Ornament #72: Reading "The Rocketeer" Movie Novelization Chapter 15This week, I'm reading the fifteenth chapter of the Peter David penned movie novelization of the 1991 Rocketeer film. This chapter takes place in The South Seas Club, and has one of my favorite parts of the movie this part where Cliff stands by the table with Neville and Jenny awkwardly and tries to poof up these flowers - which go right back to the way they were before. I don't know why that part always used to crack me up, but it still does :) The full clip is here. Thanks for listening!∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ Signup for the mail...

2025-03-2446 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #501: Welcome My Brother, Jeremy, as We Talk About Army of Darkness (1992)This week, my brother and I are watching the 1992 movie, Army of Darkness. Both of us remember the movie poster from comic book ads from the time. (It's still not clear to me what the X shaped belt Ash is wearing if for ... I don't think he wears something like that in the actual film).It was my first time seeing in a few decades and Jeremy's first ever. We watched the director's cut (which you can view online), but after a few minutes, I realized that this version was somewhat dif...

2025-03-171h 00

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #500: Celebration in the Cavern of the Ice WizardThis week on the show, we are celebrating the 500 episode mark with a story! I alluded to some of this in the past few weeks and was inspired by the scene in the 1988 film, Big, where both the young and adult Josh play a CGA text parser style game with a wizard and a cavern. You will be hearing from the following guests in this episode that I am happy to call friends:Shawn Wells and Colin Stewart, hosts of the podcast, I Used to Like This One, who...

2025-03-102h 32

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #499: Creating a New Thirteenth Hour Creature - Who is the Cloud Dragon?This week on the show, I wanted to talk through the creation of a character who will not only show up in episode 500 next week but also some subsequent Thirteenth Hour stories. I wanted to explore some of the references, motivations, and conflicts behind the character, who I am calling Faltron, the cloud dragon, kind of a mix between Falkor from the film, The Neverending Story and Voltron from the cartoon, Voltron: Defender of the Universe (you will hear some music from the theme in the show). I came up with the idea years ago and toyed around with th...

2025-03-0318 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #498: Welcome Team Jeremy! Jeremy Blum + Jeremy Lesniak Join Forces as We Brainstorm Making a Martial Arts Card GameThis week, my brother, Jeremy Lesniak from Whistlekick, and I are brainstroming how to turn The Thirteenth Hour workout cards I've discussed here before into an actual analog martial arts game that could also be a training tool for practicing martial artists.The cards were are talking about prior to cutting them out:Some pictures of the "Easy Exercise Plan" I made for my parents as a teenager that my brother refers to in the episode that was a kind of spiritual precursor to the deck above. Check out Jeremy's...

2025-02-241h 13

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #497 and Like A Hood Ornament #71: Surprise Guest Billy Campbell Reads "The Rocketeer" Movie Novelization Chapter 14This week, it's not me reading the next chapter of the Peter David penned movie novelization of the 1991 Rocketeer film. That's because we have a special guest - Billy Campbell, who played the Cliff Secord / the Rocketeer in the 1991 film - is taking point to read Chapter 14! Billy was last on the show in 2022 (follow this link for a preview of an exclusive podcast recorded for people who had supported fundraising efforts for the Hairy Cell Leukemia Foundation in memory of Rocketeer creator, Dave Stevens). This chapter takes place in one my favorite parts of the original comic...

2025-02-1719 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #496: Episode 500 Preparations!This week on the show, I'm brainstorming ideas for episode 500, coming in a few weeks. I was thinking about doing a group DnD-lite style adventure so anyone who joins can essentially join in on a role playing journey (virtual/theater of the mind style) with the goal of emphasizing cooperative gameplay with a minimum of time spent attending to inventory (maybe you'd have one item), character class, combat, and stats (none). I'd have to design the game in such a way to make it very stripped down, but I think the goals of moving through a la...

2025-02-1130 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #495 and Like A Hood Ornament #70: Reading "The Rocketeer" Movie Novelization Chapter 13 This week, I'm reading the thirteenth chapter of the Peter David penned movie novelization of the 1991 Rocketeer film. This chapter takes place in the legit front for Eddie Valentine's business - The South Seas Club. In preparation for episode 500, coming in a few weeks, I've been toying with some ideas. Let me know if you have thoughts! Ideas for Episode 500: -group draw in (everyone draws or paints something) - could be talking at the same time -DnD one shot set in the Thirteenth Hour - would need a setti...

2025-02-0322 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #494 and Like A Hood Ornament #69: Reading "The Rocketeer" Movie Novelization Chapter 12 This week, I'm reading the twelfth chapter of the Peter David penned movie novelization of the 1991 Rocketeer film. This chapter has a scene that for some reason always cracked my brother and I up as kids - the big bad guy, Lothar, picks up Cliff and shaves him through the ceiling headfirst a few times. It's so cartoonish - like something out of a Looney Tunes cartoon - that I still can't help it, though adult me (who tends to smack his head on lots of things always kind of winces). This shootout occurs just moments after. Preview of coming...

2025-01-2735 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #493: Welcome Back Paul Korman to Discuss The Phantom Fellows, Game Development, and More This week, Paul Korman, who was last on the show in 2021 (episode 298), rejoins the show to discuss The Phantom Fellows, the pixelart adventure game he recently completed. This was a really fun episode to record (even though we needed to do it twice - more on that in the intro), and it was a fun one to prepare for, since it involved playing the game Paul had discussed back in episode 298. It is really something - not only was it a very enjoyable experience - but he did the programming, art, music, and writing, all while single parenting it, an...

2025-01-201h 46

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #492: Welcome My Brother, Jeremy, as We Talk About What Makes Video Games Enjoyable This week, my brother and I chatting in a rare, in-person meeting and, using my homebrew Rocketeer game demo as an example, talk about what makes video games enjoyable. When I started making this game a few years ago, my initial goal was not actually to make much of a game. It was it learn how to use the game making software I am using (GDevelop5). But once I got past the animations, story, and sprites, I kind of ran out of steam. This is what used to happen when I tried to make games back in college as well...

2025-01-1340 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #491: Welcome My Brother, Jeremy, as We Talk About Darkman (1990)Happy 2025! This week, my brother and I are watching the 1990 movie, Darkman. This is our first time watching it, though we'd both heard of it, having grown up seeing ads in Nintendo Power for the video game. Just like Dick Tracy, which we did a number of episodes back and also had not seen, it has a certain pulpy, tongue in cheek vibe. In fact, it reminds me a little of the first Robocop. Check out Jeremy's work over at Pixel Grotto, CBR.com, and Classic Batman Panels on IG. If you are of the Dn...

2025-01-0648 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #490 and Like A Hood Ornament #68: Reading “The Rocketeer” Movie Novelization Chapter 11 This week, I’m reading the eleventh chapter of the Peter David penned movie novelization of the 1991 Rocketeer film. This chapter is when the Rocketeer flies off after his debut flight and tries to get the hang of the Cirrus X-3 without killing himself. We also get a sense of all the different players that want it. Thanks for listening! As always, thanks for listening! ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ Signup for the mailing list for a free special edition podcast, a demo copy of The Thirteenth Hour, and access to retro 80s soundtrack! Like what you see or hear? Consider su...

2024-12-3029 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #489 and Like A Hood Ornament #67: Reading "The Rocketeer" Movie Novelization Chapter 10 This week, I'm reading the tenth chapter of the Peter David penned movie novelization of the 1991 Rocketeer film. This chapter is when the Rocketeer makes his debut! This is one of the few part of the comic the plays out on the big screen, as Cliff in the comic also goes airborne for the first time to save Malcolm, a former WW1 flier who hangs out at the airfield. Click on the picture of Cliff taking off to watch the scene in the film. The James Horner score really completes the scene. As always, thanks for listening! ...

2024-12-2935 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #488 and Like A Hood Ornament #66: Reading "The Rocketeer" Movie Novelization Chapter 9 This week, I'm reading the ninth chapter of the Peter David penned movie novelization of the 1991 Rocketeer film. This chapter introduces us to the Laughing Bandit, the role the villain Neville Sinclair is playing probably inspired by Errol Flynn swashbucklers from the era. There were also some cameos in the novelization (not in the film) with famous actors and films being made at the time Clark Gable (Gone with the Wind), George Reeves (Gone with the Wind, later famous for Superman), Mae West, and Margaret Hamilton (The Wizard of Oz). There was a part of this scene tha...

2024-12-1634 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #487 and Like A Hood Ornament #65: Reading "The Rocketeer" Movie Novelization Chapter 8 This week, I'm reading the eighth chapter of the Peter David penned movie novelization of the 1991 Rocketeer film. This chapter introduces us to the Bulldog Cafe and tells us why Jenny's phone number is written on the wall next to the pay phone. I always wondered about that and figured it was either a reference to the Tommy Tutone single from the 80s ("867-5309 / Jenny") or maybe the guys at the airfield had put her number up there to get a rise out of Cliff ("for a good time, call Jenny!"). The chapter also introduces the Rocketeer's icon...

2024-12-0929 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #486 and Like A Hood Ornament #64: Reading "The Rocketeer" Movie Novelization Chapter 7 This week, I'm reading the seventh chapter of the Peter David penned movie novelization of the 1991 Rocketeer film. This chapter introduces Jenny Blake, Cliff's girlfriend (called Betty in Dave Stevens' original comic as an ode to pin up icon Bettie Paige). That part, in the film, went to Jennifer Connelly, who you may also remember from 1986's Labyrinth. When I was a teen, I had VHS copies of Labyrinth, Howard the Duck, Some Kind of Wonderful, Sixteen Candles, and The Rocketeer taped off the TV (often the edited for TV versions and/or missing certain scenes) and those films were o...

2024-12-0227 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #485 and Like A Hood Ornament #63: Reading "The Rocketeer" Movie Novelization Chapter 6 This week, I'm reading the sixth chapter of the Peter David penned movie novelization of the 1991 Rocketeer film. This chapter introduces Eddie Valentine, the gangster doing the heavy lifting for Hollywood spy Neville Sinclair. We get some backstory about Eddie that was not in the film as well as an early preview of Neville secret room where he sends encoded messages to his Nazi colleagues who want the rocketpack for themselves. This is also the scene where Cliff and Peevy strap the rocketpack to a statue of Charles Lindbergh for testing and discover it may be a bit more unpr...

2024-11-2530 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #484: Welcome My Brother, Jeremy, as We Talk About Dick Tracy (1990) This week, my brother and I are watching the 1990 movie, Dick Tracy. This is our first time watching it, though we'd both heard of it, having grown up watching the cartoon and remembering the spring/summer of 1990, when there's was lots of Dick Tracy stuff about. Check out Jeremy's work over at Pixel Grotto, CBR.com, and Classic Batman Panels on IG. If you are of the DnD persuasion, his articles on DnD Beyond may be right up your alley, and you can view his entire portfolio here. You can also check o...

2024-11-1857 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #483 and Like A Hood Ornament #62: Reading "The Rocketeer" Movie Novelization Chapter 5 This week, I'm reading the fifth chapter of the Peter David penned movie novelization of the 1991 Rocketeer film. This chapter introduces Otis Bigelow, the owner of the Bigelow Air Circus, the statue of Charles Lindburgh outside the airfield, the Curtiss Standard biplane christened Miss Mabel (named after the real life barnstormer Mabel Cody), and, of course, the Cirrus X-3 rocketpack. Thanks for listening! https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2024/11/11/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-483-and-like-a-hood-ornament-62-reading-the-rocketeer-movie-novelization-chapter-5/

2024-11-1129 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #482 and Like A Hood Ornament #61: Reading "The Rocketeer" Movie Novelization Chapter 4 This week, I'm reading the fourth chapter of the Peter David penned movie novelization of the 1991 Rocketeer film. This chapter basically picks up in the spot in the film where Cliff has had to crash land the Gee-Bee and is dealing with the Feds. We also meet a version of Howard Hughes, who in the film, is the man behind the Cirrus X-3 rocketpack. It's never stated in the Dave Stevens comic (since he didn't have the rights) but he was intending that the inventor of the pack be Doc Savage. Dave Stevens, who consulted on the film, also did t...

2024-11-0421 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #481 and Like A Hood Ornament #60: Reading "The Rocketeer" Movie Novelization Chapter 3 In honor of Cliff Secord's birthday, 10/26, I'm reading the third chapter of the Peter David penned movie novelization of the 1991 Rocketeer film. (What I really love about the bio Dave Stevens penned for Cliff is that it gives both backstory and motivation for his character as well as why, in 1938, he is flying the Gee-Bee Z, a plane from the early 30s, for the first time in 1938. You can tell that Dave had put quite a bit of thought into the character and the history of the era.) This chapter basically picks up in the spot in the film wher...

2024-10-2833 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #480 and Like A Hood Ornament #59: Reading "The Rocketeer" Movie Novelization Chapter 2 In honor of Rocketeer Day (unofficially a thing ... in the 1991 film, the date October 15th, 1938 is shown), I'm reading the second chapter of the Peter David penned movie novelization of the 1991 Rocketeer film. This chapter basically picks up in the spot where the film begins, where on a fall morning at Chaplin Airfield, Cliff, Peevy, and the other fliers and mechanics who work there gather to witness and partake the Gee-Bee's first flight. It's cool seeing little details, like how Cliff played a prank on the owner of the Bigelow air circus by taking out the screws of his ch...

2024-10-2238 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #479 and Like A Hood Ornament #58: Reading "The Rocketeer" Movie Novelization Chapter 1 I've been meaning to read the Peter David penned movie novelization of the 1991 Rocketeer film for some time, so I figured I'd start doing that this week. It will take about a half a year if we read one chapter a week, but since they are not very long, some weeks, we might do two. It's interesting reading just this first chapter so far, as there are a number of other details or plot changes that weren't in the movie. Lookin forward to seeing what other ones I can find! Thanks for listening! h...

2024-10-1628 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #478: On the Conquering of Fear in GymnasticsThe past few months, I've been happy to host an adult open gym at a local gymnastics school. Adult bodies are different from those of kids, and kids programming is mostly what gymnastics facilities tend to cater to. Gymnastics for adults often ends up looking and being different than it does for kids. We are older, our bodies don’t move in the same ways as they used to, and we may feel rusty or uncoordinated. But if the desire is there, it’s like anything else - the first step is the hardest. So needless to say, I've been very...

2024-10-0832 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #477: Ideas on Some Future Thirteenth Hour Projects and More - A Children's Book, Card Games, a Twine Text Game I'm doing this episode as a future note to myself about some projects that I've been toying around for awhile that I'd like to delve into in the next few months: -An illustrated children's book that I'm temporarily calling "The Imperial Ranger's son" - a story written from the perspective of a child in the Capital City of Tartec (the kingdom where a lot of The Thirteenth Hour takes place), who is in school with other kids his age whose parents don't necessarily work for the Empire of King Darian. Logan in The Thirteenth Hour g...

2024-09-3024 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #476: Reflections on Free Training Day Mid-Atlantic and Plans for The Thirteenth Hour Workout Deck As mentioned last week, I attended a great event this past week put on by Whistlekick, Free Training Day Mid-Atlantic - took some great classes, taught a class, met some great people, caught up with ones I met last year - all great stuff. If you are open minded and want to learn, head over to Whistlekick's free training day event page to learn about upcoming trainings (two in the next few months off the top of my head). If you are interested in writing for Martial Journal, Whistlekick's online martial arts magazine, check out their site...

2024-09-2324 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #475: More on The Thirteenth Hour Workout Deck and Free Training Day Mid-Atlantic Preview The Thirteenth Hour workout deck that I discussed last week consists of 52 exercise cards + 4 wild cards; it's designed to be a pocket-sized deck of cards that can randomize and kickstart your exercise routine with the premise that if you want to work out, it's doesn't necessarily take long, it doesn't necessarily take any equipment, nor does it require money. The beta tester digital pre-release version is available to all on Patreon. I got some card stock today to start making copies for folks that might be interested in testing them out- if that sounds like you, just let me kn...

2024-09-1735 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #474: Updates on The Thirteenth Hour Workout Deck The Thirteenth Hour workout deck that I have mentioned a few times on the show over the summer is done: 56 cards = 52 exercise cards + 4 wild cards + instructions have been completed; I've made a public Patreon post where you can download them. I'd like to make a few sample sets or have a few professionally printed so people can test them out, but for right now, the beta tester digital pre-release version is available to all on Patreon. Check out it there, and thanks for listening! https://wordpress.com/post/13thhr.wordpress.com/14592

2024-09-0927 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #400: Episode 400 Retrospective and Celebration!Originally aired on April 10, 2023.https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2023/04/10/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-400-episode-400-retrospective-and-celebration/This week is the 400th episode of this podcast! It's a special one, and perhaps the biggest one yet, as we hear from guests over the show's nine year run. The range of topics covered pretty much touch on many of the things this podcast he also touched upon over the years. Over the course of this mammoth (almost 3 hour!) episode, you will hear from the following past guests: Joshua Robertson - fantasy author Antonio Sacchetti - video game developer Tammy Infusino - mus...

2023-04-102h 56

The Mind Over Matter Podcast Musculoskeletal Pain featuring Dr. Joshua BlumIn this week's Mind Over Matter podcast, host Tracey Matisak speaks with Geisinger psychiatrist Dr. Joshua Blum about the connection between anxiety and physical pain.

2023-03-1625 min $Talking Ball \$

Talking Ball "UNCUT" Podcast OHSAA Regional Finals (Coach Blum Interview)Coach Blum Interview Central Ohio Region PredictionsRegion 2,3,7,11,15,25Good luck to all the schools still playing!!

2022-11-171h 31

Trail EAffect Joshua Lawton and Pearl iZUMi (#17)Trail EAffect Episode 17 with Joshua Lawton - Story Teller and Content Creator for PEARL iZUMi This episode first aired on January 20th, 2021 on Mountain Bike Radio PEARL iZUMi has caught my attention as a company that is making great strides in telling stories about people and communities. They have a series called “Underexposed” high lighting communities that people may not associate mountain biking with right away and bringing attention to the. PEARL iZUMi also has a “Dig Series” where they highlight communities that are using trails and mountain biking to revitalize their economy. In this...

2022-02-1927 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #300 - Special Anniversary Podcast Edition and Like a Hood Ornament #27: Watching The Rocketeer Cartoon Episode 8 with My DaughterOriginally aired on May 10, 2021.https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2021/05/10/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-300-special-anniversary-podcast-edition-and-like-a-hood-ornament-27-watching-the-rocketeer-cartoon-episode-8-with-my-daughter/Welcome to episode 300! This show has been going in some fashion since 2014 and continuously since early 2015 so in commemoration, I've gathered together a few clips from past episodes and time when I've been guests of fellow podcasters discussing some aspects of The Thirteenth Hour. We start off with a short clip from my first podcast in this format (since the first 15 had been just reading aloud from an earlier draft of The Thirteenth Hour pre-publication to try to catch errors). W...

2021-05-101h 21

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #290: Making a Slow, Meditative Thirteenth Hour Theme Track and Accompanying Cloudscape VideoOriginally aired on March 1, 2021This week's show piggybacks off last week's episode and the Patreon exclusive episode that came out last week. We're making the slow, meditative Thirteenth Hour theme that was playing in the background of last week's episode and then creating a visual for it in Adobe Premiere. I always thought that cloudscape scenes were peaceful and naturally meditative, so I'm using that a stock footage first person cloudscape as a background as well as some pixelart animations of Logan that I created years ago. Here's the end result:https://youtu.be...

2021-03-0123 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #289: Knowing Yourself, Ukemi, Relaxing into Existential Angst, and Deep Breathing with A Thirteenth Hour ReadingOriginally aired February 22, 2021.This week's episode comes at a time of increasing national and global anxiety about the future, and as inhabitants on this rock orbiting a star on the edge of the Milky Way, we're subject to the milieu of the environment, and unfortunately, there's a lot of angst in the soup. And as anyone who's ever had a muscle cramp can attest, the way around a cramp is not with more tension, it's relaxing into it - leaning in to the pain. In this episode, I talk about the concept of the "receiving body" (ukemi in...

2021-02-2236 min

Escape From Plan A Ep. 207: Mixed-White/Asian Perspectives on Mental Health (ft. Dr. Joshua Blum)Psychiatrist Joshua Blum joins CS and Teen for an expansive discussion that begins and ends with Asian American mental health and covers pretty much everything that Plan A has been pondering for the last three years. TWITTER: CS Taniguchi (@c_taniguchi) Teen (@Mont_Jiang) SUBMISSIONS & COMMENTS: editor.planamag@gmail.com EFPA Opening Theme: "Fuck Out My Face" by Ayekay (open.spotify.com/artist/16zQKaDN5XgHAhfOJHTigJ)

2020-09-072h 18

The Classic Gamers Guild Podcast Water Cooler 4: The Rocketeer (with special guest Joshua Blum)In lieu of our regularly scheduled program, here is a new Water Cooler discussion with Joshua Blum, host of "The Thirteenth Hour" podcast, about a forgotten film gem, The Rocketeer! Come join the discussion and the community! Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ClassicGamersGuild https://www.facebook.com/groups/CGGWaterCooler/ www.facebook.com/groups/ClassicGamersGuild Instagram: @cggpodcast And Twitter: @TheCGGuild Donate as low as $1 per month on our Patreon to unlock exclusive content and bonus episodes: www.patreon.com/C...

2020-01-1156 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #217: Musical Interlude – Thirteenth Hour Reading Set to “The Skipping Stone”Originally aired on October 7, 2019.This week, I'm reading from a short excerpt from The Thirteenth Hour sent to a draft of a music track I just wrote to score this particular passage. It was done on the iOS app, Auxy, and was meant to be an ambient, introspective instrumental piece. Because skipping stones feature in the excerpt a few times, I tried to find synthesizer effects that sounded like splashes of water.For the text, please see the original post at https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2019/10/07/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-217-musical-interlude/∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ Signup for the mailing list ...

2019-10-0713 min

whistlekick Martial Arts Radio Episode 425 - 36 Chambers of Shaolin Discussion with Mr. Joshua BlumIn this episode, Jeremy is joined by Mr. Joshua Blum of the 13th Hour Podcast and they talk about the 36 Chambers of Shaolin 36 Chambers of Shaolin Discussion with Mr. Joshua Blum - Episode 425 The 36 Chambers of Shaolin is one of the classic films that the Shaw Brothers has made. In this episode, Jeremy is joined by Mr. Joshua Blum from the 13th Hour Podcast as they share their movie review for the 36 Chambers of Shaolin and they talk about their experience of watching the film for the first time. Listen if you want to find o...

2019-08-2252 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #187: Musical Interlude - Making "Memories of a Better Time" Part 3Originally aired on March 11, 2019.This week, I'm finishing the last music track to accompany The Thirteenth Hour novella, Empty Hands, an introspective instrumental piece called "Memories of a Better Time." It fits in with a piece of the novella where the main character, Logan, is thinking back to his childhood friend, Aurora. It also has some similarities to the track "Empty Hands," also for the novella, which we did in episode 175 and the same descending note progression that we used there as well as in the song "There's a Wild Heart Beating." Today, we are adding the flut...

2019-03-1213 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #186: Musical Interlude - Making "Memories of a Better Time" Part 2Originally aired March 4, 2019.This week, I'm working on the last music track to accompany The Thirteenth Hour novella, Empty Hands, an introspective instrumental piece called "Memories of a Better Time," which harkens to the love theme we made back in episode #120. It fits in with a piece of the novella where the main character, Logan, is thinking back to his childhood friend, Aurora. It also has some similarities to the track "Empty Hands," also for the novella, which we did in episode 175 and the same descending note progression that we used there as well as in the son...

2019-03-0508 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #185: Musical Interlude - Making "Memories of a Better Time" Part 1Originally aired on February 25, 2019.This week, I'm working on the last music track to accompany The Thirteenth Hour novella, Empty Hands, an introspective instrumental piece called "Memories of a Better Time," which harkens to the love theme we made back in episode #120. It fits in with a piece of the novella where the main character, Logan, is thinking back to his childhood friend, Aurora. He isn't terribly happy at this point in his life, as he is a reluctant soldier at best, though his time in the military gives him a window into a life that, as an...

2019-02-2511 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #52: Storytime Reading of St. George and the DragonOriginally aired August 8, 2016.https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2016/08/08/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-52-storytime-reading-of-st-george-and-the-dragon/This week, we're reading an illustrated adaptation of the first part of Edmund Spenser's Faerie Queen - the tale of St. George and the Dragon. The one we're reading from was illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman (check out a tribute and bio on this blog) and penned by Margaret Hodges. You can find a copy online at retailers like Amazon or you local library. There are a few pictures and excerpts includes below. I'd recommend any of the books written and illustrated by this duo if you e...

2016-08-0833 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast Episode #51: "Love, Grey Dresses, and Other Things" - a Thirteenth Hour Piano BalladOriginally aired on August 1, 2016.https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2016/08/01/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-51-musical-interlude-piano-ballad/For this week's episode, I've included snippets from upcomingThirteenth Hour soundtrack tracks. I recently wrote an untitled piano theme that I was thinking would become an introspective musical track on the soundtrack. There's a preview of it in its infancy onInstagram. Then, about two weeks ago, I toyed with the idea of turning it into a ballad with words. Once I got to thinking about it, lyrics came to me in the span of a few minutes and became the song featured in this episode, whic...

2016-08-0114 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #50: Reading of Robert Browning's Poem "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came"Originally aired on July 25, 2016.https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2016/07/25/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-50-reading-of-robert-brownings-poem-childe-roland-to-the-dark-tower-came/Last week, we read the Old English fairy tale, "Childe Roland." This week, I'm reading aloud the Robert Browning poem,"Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came" which was the inspiration for Stephen King's Dark Tower series. It's quite different from the fairy tale and from King's books, though it shares the dark psychological bent he gave his longmagnus opus. I found it a difficult poem to read. Couldn't quite get into a good rhythm, so there are parts that seem more staccato than I woul...

2016-07-2528 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #49: Fairytale Storytime - "Childe Roland"The episode originally aired on July 18, 2016.This week, we are reading a narrative form of the old English fairytale, "Childe Roland" as he quests after the Elf King in the Dark Tower from this illustrated book:Click on the picture above to be taken to an Amazon link (book now out of print, unfortunately).Pictures for this episode can be found on the original show notes page:https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2016/07/18/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-49-fairytale-storytime-childe-roland/Illustrations byMoira Kemp that accompany the text:Childe Roland encounters Merlin.

2016-07-1820 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #48: My Friend Justin Joins the Show Part 2 - Diets, Fitness, Food Envy, Body For Life, Protein, and a Supreme Amount of GI DistressOriginally aired on July 11, 2016.https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2016/07/11/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-48-guest-conversation-with-justin-part-2/Last week (ep. #47), my friendJustin joined the show for a discussion on gymnastics, martial arts, and breakdancing. He returns this week for more fitness talk. Here's some of what we discuss this week:-Fad diets such as Whole 30,the Cookie Diet, and Paleo - how hard it is to eat out on these diets and the level of food envy/fixation that go with them-Aside:While this recipe is probably not kosher according to most of these d...

2016-07-1149 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #47: My Friend Justin Joins the Show Part 1 - Gymnastics, Breakdancing, Martial Arts, Learning New Skills, and Not Giving UpOriginally aired on July 4, 2016.https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2016/07/04/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-47-guest-conversation-with-justin-part-1/Get ready for a massive interview spaced out over the next two weeks! One of my best friends from college joins me for a walk down memory lane as we reminiscence about the years we spent training in gymnastics, breakdancing, and martial arts. If you have any interest in those topics, you'll likely find something of interest in this week's episode. Some of the topics covered:-Trying to learn breakdancing by watching old, grainy VHS tapes of pioneer bboys likeCrumbs,Ivan, andStorm...

2016-07-041h 35

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #46: Storytime - Prince Nautilus Reading (A Modern Fairy Tale)Originally aired on June 27, 2016.On this week's episode, I recorded a story I read to my daughter,Prince Nautilus, written byLaura Krauss Melmed and illustrated byHenri Sorensen. We recently found it for sale in a small bookstore while traveling and decided to explore this modern fairy tale, which takes elements of classic tales and puts a few modern spins on them. You can't see the wonderful illustrations in the podcast, obviously, though I did attempt to describe them to my daughter (since that's what you do with toddlers). I'm not sure if the book is still in pri...

2016-06-2722 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #45: Lightning the HoverboardOriginally aired on June 20, 2016. https://13thhr.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post-new.php?post_type=post&jetpack-copy=5728 Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) riding a hoverboard in Back to the Future 2. Clicking on the picture links back to its source page, which is about how Lexus is supposedly designing a real life hoverboard that we can only hope is a piece of valid journalism. Anything less would be a cruel joke, people! The Silver Surfer on his surfboard, courtesy of Marvel and this image's host site George Jetson's col...

2016-06-2025 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #44: ZenOriginally aired on June 13, 2016. Today's podcast is all about Zen. Zen, a philosophy that carries much ado and marketing buzz, really can be summed up in one simple idea - being present right where you are now. It's obviously easier said than done, but certain activities naturally lend themselves to discovering this state of no-mind easier than others, martial arts being one such avenue. George Lucas incorporated these ideas into the character of Yoda (essentially a Zen master in a galaxy far, far away) in his teachings of the Force and the way of...

2016-06-1334 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #43: Guest Author Interview with Fantasy Author/Illustrator Missy SheldrakeOriginally released on June 6, 2016. In this week's episode, fantasy author Missy Sheldrake joins the show, so fairy tale fans, authors, and illustrators sit back, relax, and enjoy the one hour plus show! Missy is unique in that she's one of the few authors out there who also creates her own covers (see them below) and illustrates her novels. You'll find out more in the podcast, but early elements of the series actually came from the Game Dark Age of Camelot. (Missy definitely got her money's worth out of this game, since she got n...

2016-06-0600 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast Episode #42: Dragons' Eyes: a Poem and Folk Song from The Thirteenth HourOriginally aired on May 30, 2016. Today's episode is about a song that I originally started started writing as a part of a chapter in The Thirteenth Hour. Finally got around to finishing it. It's a bit of a folk song. Here's the passage that talks about it: Then she looked up at me, through reddened eyes, and I struggled to say, “I thought I would never see you again ... I'm so glad I found you.” She nodded, and I wiped her tear–streaked ashen face with my sleeve, trying to maneuver around the burns and scabs...

2016-05-3024 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast Episode #41: Pocketknives, More Knife Throwing, and EDCOriginally released on May 23, 2016. Today's episode is all about gadgets people carry in their pockets (or in bags), though it mostly focuses on pocketknives. Those of who who've watched Angus Macgyver at work know he can do pretty much anything with a Swiss Army knife and a paperclip, so these things are handy to have. Two of the covers of the Great Brain books written by John D. Fitzgerald. There are 5 others (plus one published from the author's notes after his death). I do believe these books made me interested in carrying a pocketknife when I r...

2016-05-2331 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #40: Martial Arts in The Thirteenth HourOriginally released on Mqay 16, 2016. Last week's episode on the influence of gymnastics on the writing of The Thirteenth Hour leads to today's episode which focuses more on martial arts. Although I've alluded to other martial activities on this blog and in the podcast before (like archery and knife throwing), I figured it was time to devote more time to martial arts itself. My experience since I was about 13 was with Eastern martial arts, so I borrowed elements of those arts in the style of unarmed martial arts Logan and his Imperial Rangers comrades learn and practice in th...

2016-05-1639 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #39: Gymnastics and Acrobatics in The Thirteenth HourOriginally released on May 9, 2016. Today's episode is all about flipping! Although it's pretty common to see acrobatics on TV and in video games today, at the time The Thirteenth Hour was written (1998), the whole extreme martial arts tricking community was still in its infancy, and it hadn't really permeated popular culture to quite the same degree yet. There were a few exceptions - video games like Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Tomb Raider (plus its many clones) that came out around then had flipping protagonists. And there were Jackie Chan movies, plenty of older kung fu...

2016-05-0934 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #38: Knife ThrowingOriginally released on May 2, 2016. Today's episode is all about throwing knives and other pointy things, like screwdrivers. It refers to a few past posts: -https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2015/02/15/logans-everyday-carry-edc-from-the-thirteenth-hour/ -A section of The The Thirteenth Hour where the main character, Logan, finds a pocketknife and contemplates fleetingly whether it would make a good throwing knife as well as the ending fight, where he lobs a large sword. -https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2015/11/29/ever-wanted-to-throw-knives-like-chuck-norris/ -A previous post that discusses no-spin knife throwing, inspired by Ralph Thorn's teachings. The post step-by-step how to...

2016-05-0235 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #37: Guest Spot with Author Kelly St. ClareOriginally released on April 25, 2016 Before we get to the podcast today, a note on Prince's passing. It took me three tries of recording the intro to not sound totally down in the dumps, so I apologize in advance if I sound more sedate. * I refer to interviews Prince did in the podcast - they were rare, but you can find some on youtube. This is part of a thoughtful interview where he talks about mentorship, having high standards held to you, and the value of persistence. Good talk! Prince was one of those peop...

2016-04-2540 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #36: A Conversation with Author George Sirois - 80s Nostalgia, WWE, Superheroes, and MoreThis episode originally aired on April 18, 2016. https://13thhr.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post-new.php?post_type=post&jetpack-copy=4855 Get ready for a mammoth episode - this is 70+ minutes of audio footage featuring author George Sirois! We covered a ton of material, including tons of 80s trivia, like: -80s Hits Stripped - acoustic versions of 80s songs covered by the artists themselves (links to youtube) -Stan Bush's "The Touch" (listen for clips in the podcast!) -The Transformers Movie 30th Anniversary -The Undertaker - remember this guy...

2016-04-181h 26

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #35: Interview with Author Angela B. Chrysler - Swords, Flux Capacitors, Norse MythsThis episode originally aired on April 11, 2016. https://13thhr.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post-new.php?post_type=post&jetpack-copy=4769 Angela, the creator of the Brain to Books cyber blog tour, took time out of her busy schedule to talk for an hour. We covered a vast amount of info: Back to the Future Delorean shirts, why having a flux capacitor is a good life decision, the Moon Patrol soundtrack, how her personal collection of weaponry influences her writing, why all the fuss about book reviews from the point of view of a reader and a...

2016-04-111h 15

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #34: Archery in the MediaThis episode originally aired on April 4, 2016. https://13thhr.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post-new.php?post_type=post&jetpack-copy=4571 Discussion of how not shoot a bow by modeling Hollywood, book covers, and other art https://archive.org/download/13thHrEps16On/13th%20hr%2034.mp3 The Hunger Games movies and books have created a resurgence in archery as a sport. A lot of times, beginners will wrap a finger around the arrow to keep it from falling off. But it's best not to ever put your fingers anywhere near the tip of th...

2016-04-0430 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #33: Archery and PVC BowsThis originally aired on March 28, 2016. https://13thhr.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post-new.php?post_type=post&jetpack-copy=4063 This episode focuses on archery, which I've featured a few times on this blog (see links below) and on Instagram, since it features in The Thirteenth Hour, though it will play a bigger role in the yet-unnamed sequel. https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2015/02/07/on-the-state-of-archery/ https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2015/02/09/on-the-state-of-lars-andersen-speed-shooting-and-armchair-quarterbackery/ If you're interested in making your own bows and arrows, here are some posts and links to get you started. Using PVC, y...

2016-03-2828 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #32: Guest Fantasy Author Joshua Robertson and New Song PreviewThis episode originally aired on March 21, 2016. https://13thhr.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post-new.php?post_type=post&jetpack-copy=3878 Today, I've very pleased to welcome dark fantasy author Joshua Robertson to the show. It was a fun conversation and a chance to talk about all kinds of things related to fantasy, writing, and the like. Turns out that we had very similar journeys in writing - he created a fantasy world as a kid (1999) and then re-edited the manuscript for a long time until recently publishing the stories he'd worked on since a...

2016-03-2152 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #31: Special Edition - Redux from WNRI Author's Hour Radio Show Interview from 2/16/16This episode originally aired on March 14, 2016. https://13thhr.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post-new.php?post_type=post&jetpack-copy=3776 -Today's episode is a recording of an interview I did with WNRI radio host Wayne Barber about a month ago on his show, The Author's Hour. He was kind enough to read The Thirteenth Hour before the interview, and it's always fun to hear other folks' points of view. There were a number of callers with questions as well, some specific, some general. Overall, a fun time, so if you didn't catch the interview on the...

2016-03-1422 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #30: Homebrew Video Games with My BroThis episode originally aired on March 7, 2016. https://13thhr.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post-new.php?post_type=post&jetpack-copy=3349 There is bonus material available here: https://13thhr.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post-new.php?post_type=post&jetpack-copy=3398 Today, I have my first live guest! My brother, Jeremy, who writes about video games on his blog, Pixel Grotto, joins me for a conversation about the video games we made (and tried to make) when we were kids. It all started when Jeremy got interested in a graphical video game making software program ca...

2016-03-0749 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #29: Censorship, Children vs. Adults, and Raffle WinnerThis episode originally aired on Feb 29, 2016. https://13thhr.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post-new.php?post_type=post&jetpack-copy=3263 -I get asked this question occasionally and am still refining my answer, which is generally, "adult, though teens over 16 may enjoy it as well." The only ones who generally seem interested in the answer are parents or grandparents not interested in the book for themselves but as a present for the children in their lives. I feel it's better to let them know what to expect first rather than have them surprised when little Johnny let...

2016-02-2930 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #28: 80s Movies Part 2 - Teen MoviesThis episode originally aired on Feb 22, 2016. https://13thhr.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post-new.php?post_type=post&jetpack-copy=3149 Man, this was a super long episode. I guess I got carried away talking about the 80s teen movies :) Anyway, these were all influences, one way or another, for The Thirteenth Hour and the themes running through the book (i.e. figuring yourself out while straddling the line between childhood and adulthood, then trying to find your way in a seemingly inhospitable world). -More on the writer of many of these films, the late, great John Hu...

2016-02-221h 01

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #27: Special Edition - Podcasting for AuthorsThis episode originally aired on Feb 15, 2016 https://13thhr.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post-new.php?post_type=post&jetpack-copy=3115 This is an episode that breaks a little from my so-called tradition of talking about escapist entertainment and discusses things that may actually have, well ... practical use to you if you're an aspiring writer or artist. This past week, fantasy author Kelly St. Clare was kind enough to host an article I did on podcasting as easily and cheaply as possible. (If you haven't checked out her great series, The Tainted Accords, do yourself a favor a...

2016-02-1541 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #26: 80s Movies Part 1This episode originally aired on Feb 7, 2016 https://13thhr.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post-new.php?post_type=post&jetpack-copy=2895 -News: Upcoming radio show appearance on 2/16: Email the host, Wayne, with questions or comments for a chance to win a copy of The Thirteenth Hour. -http://waynebarbersauthorshour.blogspot.com/2016/01/brand-new-radio-show-authors-hour.html –Event Details (Live at 1380 AM WNRI or livestream, 9 AM EST 2/16/16) -More News: brand new audio page for songs on Bandcamp - two new songs in the works! Stay tuned for more info. -Even More News: Read most of The Thir...

2016-02-0732 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #25: Why So White? Illustrating the Thirteenth Hour Characters, Racial Stuff, and MoreThis episode originally aired Feb 1, 2016 https://13thhr.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post-new.php?post_type=post&jetpack-copy=2779 This morning I randomly woke up to theme music of one of my favorite movies of all time, The Last Starfighter, playing in my head. Probably not a surprise, since it was an inspiration for The Thirteenth Hour and always had a kickass theme song to boot. Here's a little dose of morning 80s inspiration: https://youtu.be/BSf5tx4e_PA The Last Starfighter main characters: Maggie (Catherine Mary Stewart) and Alex (Lance Guest). Of note, Cathe...

2016-02-0136 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #24: The Last UnicornOriginally published January 25, 2016 https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2016/01/25/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-24-the-last-unicorn/ After hearing enough people say I should find out more books like The Princess Bride and The Last Unicorn, I finally sat down with my daughter to listen to an audiobook of The Last Unicorn, read by the author, Peter S. Beagle. Later, I watched the cartoon, which, by the way, has a great voice acting cast. So in this episode, I talk a little about this fairy tale fantasy classic. I thought it would be an appropriate follow-up for last week's discussion on what makes a f...

2016-01-2531 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #23: What is Fairytale Fantasy?Originally published January 18, 2016 https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2016/01/18/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-23-what-is-fairytale-fantasy/ In this episode, I attempt to explain what fairytale fantasy as a genre is. My take on it, anyway. At some point, I'll have to delve more into this, but based on what other people have told me after they read The Thirteenth Hour and its spin-offs is that there are a few titles in the same genre (fairytale fantasy) that I should check out, as they're similar in style. All are very established, classic titles, so comparisons to such giants make me uncomfortable, but...

2016-01-1826 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #22: 80s Music! (Alphaville, When in Rome, Van Halen)Originally published January 11, 2016 https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2016/01/11/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-22-80s-music-alphaville-when-in-rome-van-halen/ This week, I experimented with playing music in the background while recording this episode in music that influenced the writing of The Thirteenth Hour. The sound quality leaves something to be desired, but I only played a few short clips anyway. I may experiment with ways to make the sound quality better in the future but clearly opted for the low-tech option today :) So ... here's youtube links to the full songs discussed so you can hear (and see) them in all their 80s bi...

2016-01-1122 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #21: Special EditionOriginally published January 4, 2016 https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2016/01/04/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-21-special-edition/ Today is another special edition of this podcast, discussing the upcoming launch of the 3rd edition of The Thirteenth Hour (special editions are longer - this one is 30 minutes - and less frequent; the other special edition is the episode on A Shadow in the Moonlight for subscribers of the mailing list - see link below for free access). The following links are referenced in the episode. i.e.: -Talking about how the book came to be in print (unofficially) as early as...

2016-01-0430 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #20: "Children's" LiteratureOriginally published December 28, 2015 https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2015/12/28/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-20/ I’m deviating from the previous episodes today to talk about a few books generally classified as “children’s” literature, though in reality, they can probably be enjoyed as adults as well. While not directly related to The Thirteenth Hour, they were books I enjoyed as a child, which influenced my love of reading, and later, or writing and creating stories. The following links all go to Goodreads. I also used the cover illustrations for the versions of the books as I remembered them, though there are u...

2015-12-2824 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #19: Video Game InfluencesOriginally published December 21, 2015 This episode refers to video games (Ultima V, Ironsword) discussed in this post: https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2015/01/21/influences-behind-the-thirteenth-hour-part-3-video-games/ Check out this cover art for Ultima V! Unfortunately, the inside of the game looked like this: But there's a remake/mod for Dungeon's Seige: http://www.u5lazarus.com/ Gauntlet, also featured on this episode, at least the 1985 PC version, has an entry on wikipedia. Gameplay and picture above courtesy of old-games.com. I've included links on old-games.com fo...

2015-12-2121 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #18: Comic Books and IllustrationsOriginally published December 14, 2015 This post refers to the comic books (Bone, Archie) referred to in this post: https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2015/01/09/influences-behind-the-thirteenth-hour-part-1-books/ The old (more comicky) and new (more ?anime-ish) covers to the novelette prequel to The Thirteenth Hour, A Shadow in the Moonlight are as discussed in this episode are here for comparison: [gallery ids="474,742" type="rectangular"] Dave Stevens, the creator of the comic book hero, The Rocketeer, is discussed here, especially his art style and the storytelling influence on the creation of The Thirteenth Hour.

2015-12-1419 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #17: Books That Influenced The Thirteenth HourOriginally published December 7, 2015 This episode talks about literary influences to The Thirteenth Hour, partly based on a post which can be found here: https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2015/01/09/influences-behind-the-thirteenth-hour-part-1-books/ I also refer to the TSR Endless Quest series of gamebooks, similar to the Choose Your Own Adventure books of the time. Image courtesy of Elfsteaks and Halfling Bacon Here is a link on Goodreads to the historical gothic romance adventure books written by Madeline Brent, pseudonym for author and comic book written Peter O'Donnell. He was creating great independent f...

2015-12-0721 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #16: The Thirteenth Hour Podcast Returns!Originally published December 3, 2015 After about a year, I've decided to resume the podcast that I originally set up to read an earlier draft of The Thirteenth Hour. In regular 15-20 minute episodes, I'm going to be talking about the creation of the book as well as some topics that are also featured on this blog that relate, in some way, to the book (archery, martial arts, backflips, etc). Sometimes the episodes will refer back to previous posts, as they do in this first one. I'll include relevant links in these posts when that happens. Here are the post...

2015-12-0322 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #15: Audiobook Chapter 26 Continued and EpilogueOriginally released Jan 6, 2015 This marks the fifteenth Thirteenth Hour podcast episode, where I read an early draft of The Thirteenth Hour during the fine-tuning stages, shortly prior to publication of the first edition. There are 15 episodes in total, each about an hour in length. This is the rest of chapter 26 plus the Epilogue from the novel. After this point, the podcast will shift from reading the novel to discussing topics that have influenced it. ⁠The Thirteenth Hour⁠ An impossible quest to the ends of the world. An unlikely hero. And ... a little magic.

2015-01-0730 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #14: Audiobook Chapters 25-26Originally released Jan 6, 2015 This marks the fourteenth Thirteenth Hour podcast episode, where I read an early draft of The Thirteenth Hour during the fine-tuning stages, shortly prior to publication of the first edition. There are 15 episodes in total, each about an hour in length. This is chapters 25-26 from the novel. ⁠The Thirteenth Hour⁠ An impossible quest to the ends of the world. An unlikely hero. And ... a little magic. If an optimist sees opportunity even in disaster, then Logan, the sole surviving member of an ill-fated military expedition to the ends...

2015-01-071h 15

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #13: Audiobook Chapters 22-24Originally released Jan 6, 2015 This marks the thirteenth (!) Thirteenth Hour podcast episode, where I read an early draft of The Thirteenth Hour during the fine-tuning stages, shortly prior to publication of the first edition. There are 15 episodes in total, each about an hour in length. This is chapters 22-24 from the novel. ⁠The Thirteenth Hour⁠ An impossible quest to the ends of the world. An unlikely hero. And ... a little magic. If an optimist sees opportunity even in disaster, then Logan, the sole surviving member of an ill-fated military expedition to the ends...

2015-01-0758 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #12: Audiobook Chapter 22 ContinuedOriginally released Jan 6, 2015 This marks the twelfth Thirteenth Hour podcast episode, where I read an early draft of The Thirteenth Hour during the fine-tuning stages, shortly prior to publication of the first edition. There are 15 episodes in total, each about an hour in length. This continues chapter 22 from the novel. The Thirteenth Hour An impossible quest to the ends of the world. An unlikely hero. And ... a little magic. If an optimist sees opportunity even in disaster, then Logan, the sole surviving member of an ill-fated military expedition to the ends...

2015-01-061h 03

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #11: Audiobook Chapter 22Originally released Jan 6, 2015 This marks the 11th Thirteenth Hour podcast episode, where I read an early draft of The Thirteenth Hour during the fine-tuning stages, shortly prior to publication of the first edition. There are 15 episodes in total, each about an hour in length. This is chapter 22 from the novel. ⁠The Thirteenth Hour⁠ An impossible quest to the ends of the world. An unlikely hero. And ... a little magic. If an optimist sees opportunity even in disaster, then Logan, the sole surviving member of an ill-fated military expedition to the ends of t...

2015-01-061h 03

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #10: Audiobook Chapters 20-21Originally released Jan 6, 2015 This marks the tenth Thirteenth Hour podcast episode, where I read an early draft of The Thirteenth Hour during the fine-tuning stages, shortly prior to publication of the first edition. There are 15 episodes in total, each about an hour in length. This is chapters 20-21 from the novel. ⁠The Thirteenth Hour⁠ An impossible quest to the ends of the world. An unlikely hero. And ... a little magic. If an optimist sees opportunity even in disaster, then Logan, the sole surviving member of an ill-fated military expedition to the ends...

2015-01-061h 00

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #9: Audiobook Chapters 18-19Originally released Jan 6, 2015 This marks the ninth Thirteenth Hour podcast episode, where I read an early draft of The Thirteenth Hour during the fine-tuning stages, shortly prior to publication of the first edition. There are 15 episodes in total, each about an hour in length. This is chapters 18-19 from the novel. ⁠The Thirteenth Hour⁠ An impossible quest to the ends of the world. An unlikely hero. And ... a little magic. If an optimist sees opportunity even in disaster, then Logan, the sole surviving member of an ill-fated military expedition to the ends...

2015-01-0655 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #8: Audiobook Chapter 18Originally released Jan 6, 2015 This marks the eighth Thirteenth Hour podcast episode, where I read an early draft of The Thirteenth Hour during the fine-tuning stages, shortly prior to publication of the first edition. There are 15 episodes in total, each about an hour in length. This is chapter 18 from the novel. https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2015/01/06/13th-hr-podcast-episode-8/ ⁠The Thirteenth Hour⁠ An impossible quest to the ends of the world. An unlikely hero. And ... a little magic. If an optimist sees opportunity even in disaster, then Loga...

2015-01-0657 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #7: Audiobook Chapters 16-17Originally released Jan 6, 2015 This marks the seventh Thirteenth Hour podcast episode, where I read an early draft of The Thirteenth Hour during the fine-tuning stages, shortly prior to publication of the first edition. There are 15 episodes in total, each about an hour in length. This is chapters 16-17 from the novel. https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2015/01/06/13th-hr-podcast-episode-7/ ⁠The Thirteenth Hour⁠ An impossible quest to the ends of the world. An unlikely hero. And ... a little magic. If an optimist sees opportunity even in disaster, then...

2015-01-0653 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #6: Audiobook Chapters 14-15Originally released Jan 6, 2015 This marks the sixth Thirteenth Hour podcast episode, where I read an early draft of The Thirteenth Hour during the fine-tuning stages, shortly prior to publication of the first edition. There are 15 episodes in total, each about an hour in length. This is chapters 14-15 from the novel. https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2015/01/06/13th-hr-podcast-episode-6/ ⁠The Thirteenth Hour⁠ An impossible quest to the ends of the world. An unlikely hero. And ... a little magic. If an optimist sees opportunity even in disaster, then...

2015-01-0650 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #5: Audiobook Chapters 10-13Originally released Jan 6, 2015 This marks the fifth Thirteenth Hour podcast episode, where I read an early draft of The Thirteenth Hour during the fine-tuning stages, shortly prior to publication of the first edition. There are 15 episodes in total, each about an hour in length. This is chapters 10-13 from the novel. https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2015/01/06/13th-hr-podcast-episode-5/ ⁠The Thirteenth Hour⁠ An impossible quest to the ends of the world. An unlikely hero. And ... a little magic. If an optimist sees opportunity even in disaster, then...

2015-01-0657 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #4: Audiobook Chapter 9 ContinuedOriginally released Jan 6, 2015 This marks the fourth Thirteenth Hour podcast episode, where I read an early draft of The Thirteenth Hour during the fine-tuning stages, shortly prior to publication of the first edition. There are 15 episodes in total, each about an hour in length. This is wraps up chapter 9 from the novel. https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2015/01/06/13th-hr-podcast-episode-4/ ⁠The Thirteenth Hour⁠ An impossible quest to the ends of the world. An unlikely hero. And ... a little magic. If an optimist sees opportunity even in disa...

2015-01-0650 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #3: Audiobook Chapters 7-9Originally released Jan 6, 2015 This marks the third Thirteenth Hour podcast episode, where I read an early draft of The Thirteenth Hour during the fine-tuning stages, shortly prior to publication of the first edition. There are 15 episodes in total, each about an hour in length. This is chapters 7-9 from the novel. https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2015/01/06/13th-hr-podcast-episode-3/ ⁠The Thirteenth Hour⁠ An impossible quest to the ends of the world. An unlikely hero. And ... a little magic. If an optimist sees opportunity even in disaster, then...

2015-01-0652 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #2: Audiobook Chapters 3-6Originally released Jan 6, 2015 This marks the second Thirteenth Hour podcast episode, where I read an early draft of The Thirteenth Hour during the fine-tuning stages, shortly prior to publication of the first edition. There are 15 episodes in total, each about an hour in length. This is chapters 3-6 from the novel. https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2015/01/06/13th-hr-podcast-episode-2/ ⁠The Thirteenth Hour⁠ An impossible quest to the ends of the world. An unlikely hero. And ... a little magic. If an optimist sees opportunity even in disaster, then...

2015-01-0655 min

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #1: Audiobook Chapters 1-2Originally released Dec 25, 2014 This marks the first Thirteenth Hour podcast episode, where I read an early draft of The Thirteenth Hour during the fine-tuning stages, shortly prior to publication of the first edition. There are 15 episodes in total, each about an hour in length. This is chapters 1-2 from the novel. https://wordpress.com/post/13thhr.wordpress.com/172 The Thirteenth Hour An impossible quest to the ends of the world. An unlikely hero. And ... a little magic. If an optimist sees opportunity e...

2014-12-2651 min